Southern Hospitality
by Sweet Little Bullet
Summary: Rosalie is an up and coming fashion photographer. When her job sends her to the mountains of Tennessee and things start to go wrong, will Rose find everything she didn't know she was missing? Can the sheriff with the sexy smile win her heart? All Human.
1. Stuck in the Sticks

**_A/N: Written with the Almighty Wee One.  
_**

**_Disclaimer: We don't own anything, except maybe an unhealthy obsession.  
("speak for yourself woman. I'm not completely insane...about Twilight anyway" -AWO)  
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_**Chapter 1**_

**_Rosalie's POV_**

"Ms. Hale, could you come in here for a minute please?" My boss' voice radiated through the speaker on my phone. I smoothed out the wrinkles of my blue chiffon Vera Wang dress as I stood up and walked across the hallway into Victoria's office.

"Yes, Ms. Summers?" I asked as I sat down in her plush leather chair across from her enormous mahogany desk.

"Ah, Rosalie dear. How are you?" She asked as she looked up from her computer screen and gave me one of her thousand watt smiles.

"I'm good." I nodded.

"Great. Alright, well, I'm sure you're wondering why I called you in here and the truth is I've been watching your work." I took a deep breath, steadying myself for what might be coming next. This was Vogue after all and it is a dog-eat-dog world in here. "I'm very impressed with the strides you've been making and I would like to try your hand... or should I say eye... at something a little bit different."

She laughed at her own joke and handed me a manilla folder from off the top of her desk. I took it with shaky hands.

"This is a new designer that has come to our attention. We're calling it Bohemian Backwoods Chic, and I have set- up a time with the designer for you to meet her and take the pictures."

Victoria smiled at me as she anticipated my reaction. I opened the folder slowly. The designs were good, not exactly what I would wear, but good none the less.

"You would be in charge of everything for this article, if you decide to take it."

"Of course." I stammered.

"Good."She stood up and gathered her things off her desk "You leave for Tennessee tonight" She started putting her stuff in her one of a kind Gucci bag, a presant from Gucci for her fourth, thirtieth birthday last month. " All the information you need is in there and I expect this to be finished by the time our next book goes to press."

"Wait, did you say Tennessee?" I asked as I jumped up and followed Victoria out of her office.

"Yes, some little town called Independence. I don't know. Mapquest it."

"I can't go to Tennessee. I've never even been out of New York."

Victoria turned around to face me, her eyes narrowed as she looked me up and down.

"If you don't want this Ms. Hale, I assure you I can find someone who does. That new photographer we hired on, what was her name? Tanya? I'm sure she'd love to have her own spread."

"No, no I'll do it." I gulped.

"Good. Have a great fourth of July, dear." She said with a wave of her hand as she turned and walked down the hallway.

I looked down at the folder I held in my hands with disdain as I thought begrudgingly, _"Tennessee, here I come."_

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"Come on!" I groaned to the driver in front of me as I laid on the horn. "Get out of my way dammit!"

I pushed the throttle closer to the floor as I sped past them in the opposite lane, flipping the bird as I passed. Somehow I had made it to Tennessee, it was getting late though and I had _yet_ to find Independence. I clicked my overhead light on as I came to a stop sign. I growled in frustration as I realized I had gone too far. I didn't even bother to pull a u-turn and just drove backwards until I found the road.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me." I yelled to noone in particular as I turned onto the barely paved side road that was supposedly going to lead me to my next assignment. I yawned widely as I drove through the dense covering of trees. It seemed that they just kept getting bigger and bigger the farther I ventured. The sun was completely gone now and the thick canopy of trees hid the moon from my view. I was enveloped in complete and total darkness except for the outward beam of my headlights. It felt like I had been driving for hours and I was nowhere near this podunk town out in the middle of fucking nowhere.

"Where the hell is this place?" I reached over to check the directions again and looked up just in time to see a doe and her fawn jumping through a crevice between two mighty oaks. I tried to swerved off the road and miss them but before I could my brand new BMW M3 convertible caught the minuscule gravel shoulder. I couldn't even make myself make a noise as my car fish tailed out of control. I knew I had been taught how to handle this but I had been such a careful driver that I didn't even remember if I was supposed to hit the brakes or not. My car finally came to a screeching halt as it ran down the ditch and slammed into the nearest tree. The air bags deployed and I found myself lost in a sea of white. My neck was killing me as I pushed myself back from the offending obstacle that might have just saved my life. The skin on my neck was tender and it felt like I had rug burn. I pulled down the visor and used the mirror on the back to see that an angry red mark across the left side of my collar bone, from the seat belt.

I screamed in frustration as I climbed out of my car and pulled my cell phone from the pocket of my Ralph Lauren jeans. Only to realize how futile that was when_ "searching for service"_ appeared across the front screen. I screamed but resisted the urge to throw my company issued blackberry into the tree that had just made mincemeat of my beautiful car. My shiny, new, amazingly expensive car that now resembled something that would be pulled from a salvage yard instead of a high class car lot.

I made my way slowly to the front of the car to inspect the damage, snarling when I saw just how much there was. Without thinking, I reared my foot back, letting loose on the tree that my car rested against. I realized how big of a mistake that was when I saw the damage that the tree had now inflicted upon my poor innocent shoe. How much damage could one stupid tree do?

"Stupid fucker!" I screeched to the inanimate object in front of me. "You think you're so great don't you? Just because you've been here for years and years and years. Well you know what? You aren't great. You know what you are? Paper. Paper that my company cuts down to print my pictures on. Yeah, _my _pictures. You want to destroy my car and my shoes. Well guess what?! You_ will_ feel my wrath. You know who else will feel my wrath. Victoria Summers, that's who! That stupid bitch sent me out here to fuck all nowhere and expects me to survive the trip itself? I have half a mind to call her right now and tell her just where she can stick her damn magazine spread. Who needs it? To hell with her. To hell with Vogue. And to hell with you, you stupid tree!" It was only after I had ran out of breath that I finally stopped and calmed down enough to realize that I was yelling to a ligneous plant. I sighed in defeat, but kicked at the headlight that now rested a foot away from where it should.

I didn't know what to do as I made my way back to my door and slid back into the seat, banging my head against the wheel. It was almost midnight, I had no cell phone, no car, and I had no idea where the next gas station even was. Old horror film scenarios flicked through my mind as I slammed down the locks and leaned back against the seat. I was in the middle of the sticks and I was stuck. "Great. Just great."

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_**A/N: Review for a sneak peek of the next chapter. **_


	2. Don't Make Me Taser You

_**So sorry that some of you didn't get sneak peeks. AWO didn't send me the chapter like she should have and I lost it. -sigh- both of us are at fault. This chapter is written by AWO and I hope you laugh as much as I did when reading it. **_

_**Disclaimer: We own nothing. **_

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_**Chapter Two**_

_**Emmett's POV**_

"Well, what do we have here?" I asked myself as I pulled up slowly behind the flashy red convertible.

The almighty spruce had certainly taken its toll on the mangled car. Whoever this was defiantly wasn't from around these parts. I sighed as I grabbed my mag light from the passengers seat. It had been a long shift with several domestic's and having to crawl under crazy old Edith's house to rescue her cat_ again_ had not left me in the happiest of moods. The last thing I needed was some egotistical smooth city slicker to make the end of my shift even longer.

I switched on the light as I made my way to the driver's side of the car. It didn't appear to be occupied which gave me hope I could still make my breakfast date. My hope was short lived as I shone the light into the drivers window and discovered a woman unconscious in the driver's seat.

"Shit" I tried to open the door but it was locked. Turning my mag light around I slammed the end of it into the car window frantic to get the hurt woman out. I reached in to open the door from the inside but with the light in my other hand I couldn't find it. My hand fumbled blindly around, looking for a way to unlock the door. I heard a sharp intake of breath and I glanced up to see the damsel in distress glaring at me. Suddenly, pain radiated through my face as my eyes started to water and blood ran down my face and I realized I had just been punched.

"You son of a bitch! I took three years of kick boxing and I swear to Jesus I will kick your ass! Now back the hell away!"

I couldn't see as I took a step backward and drew my Taser. _What have I gotten into? _I heard yelling as I tried to orientate myself and plug my nose to stop the bleeding. Crazy bitch had broken it.

When I could finally open my eyes I was confronted by a pretty blonde kicking at me through the window. In any other situation I might've laughed but she had just punched the crap out of my face.

"What the hell is wrong with you, woman? I am trying to save you, not kill you!"

"Oh, _sure you are_. I bet that's what you tell _all _your victims. Get away. I mean it. You don't want to mess with me buster. You don't know what your in for." She screeched.

I had actually a pretty good idea as my light illuminated her face and a whole world of crazy came at me. She was in a wrinkled halter top that was sliding a little bit to far to the right for decency and her eyeliner had ran so bad she reminded me of the stuffed raccoons in the local gun store. Her hair was tangled and falling into her face but somehow her furious bloodshot puffy eyes managed to find their way out and direct beams of hate right at me.

"Lady calm down." I commanded "My name is Emmett McCarty and I am the Sheriff of Greene County. If you do not restrain yourself I will have no choice but to use physical force to detain you."

I don't think she believed me as she continued to scream profanity at me and thrashing about like a pissed-off two year old in a dentist office.

"You're the Sheriff my hole! Where's your badge and uniform then? Don't think I'm stupid. I know how this goes. I watch movies. You prey on women when they are alone and need help and then you take them to your cabin and torture them and chop them up in little pieces to store in your freezer! You sick _bastard_."

_What the hell has she been watching?_ I took the light out of her eyes so she could see me more clearly.

"I am not here to kill you. This is my uniform and if you want to see my badge your gonna have to calm down enough I don't need to use my taser."

Realization crossed her face which was slowly becoming a very unique shade of red. She slowly stopped kicking at me through the broken window

"I want to see your badge." She pushed the frazzled hair out of her face. Even in the chaos you could see she was a very attractive woman.

I put the taser back into its holster and took a few cautious steps closer not ready to believe she had exerted all her crazy for the morning.

"Do you mind? I can't see anything when your shining that... _thing_ in my face."

I lowered the light and she leaned forward narrowing her eyes to try and read through the darkness. I took another step forward.

"If you're the sheriff why did you try to break into my car and shatter my window in the process?"

"I don't know if you noticed honey but your car is playing chicken with the tree there and the tree won. When I came over to make sure noone was injured I found you unconscious in the front seat."

"I was sleeping." She hissed.

"How should I have known that? I assumed you had been knocked out on impact and needed an ambulance. Then you so kindly punched me in the face and continued with your wailing about kick boxing and freezer people."

"I was defending myself you could have been anybody. Not to mention I was more than a little groggy. What would you think if someone was breaking into your car in the middle of nowhere at... What time is it?"

"Four ten."

"Really? It's that late? At four ten in the morning?"

"Fair enough." I shrugged, "Have a nice day."

"You can't just _leave_ me here." She wailed.

"Well do you really want to get help from the crazy man that was gonna chop you up?"

"Shut up! You have to help me! You're the Sheriff. There has to be some law that says you have to..."

"Your right I should. But my shift just got over, so your on your own honey."

I had had enough of this lady and even though I technically was still on the clock for another thirty minutes I figured I had earned a early leave. I turned around and started walking to the truck.

"Wait! Please! I can't get my cell phone to get service and I have no way of getting help. You're the only car that has been on the road all night. Please help me!" Panic riddled her voice as she clambered out of the car to try and catch me. I walked faster.

"My name is Rosalie Hale. I am a photographer for Vogue and my boss sent me out here to take pictures of some new stupid backwoods designer. I was driving out to meet her when a deer ran in front of me and well you can see how that went. Please, I am begging you! Can I at least use your cell phone?"

"Don't got one" I was getting closer to the truck. Freedom.

"Can't you give me a ride to town then? Something?"

I stopped. This woman was trying on my last nerve and I wanted some friggen pancakes. She clearly was not going to let me alone and there was no way she was going to get help unless she walked the eight miles into town. "Get in."

"Really? Okay, let me get my stuff. Can you help me carry that bag? It's pretty heavy."

I looked at the big black bag in the passenger's seat. "No. You ain't taken none of that stuff in my truck. You get in now or you don't get in at all." I started walking.

"No! Wait! I have to take it! I can't just leave it here. Someone could steal it."

I stopped, looked up the deserted road then back down the other way, then back to her. "You said so yourself ma'am noone goes down this road. But if your that concerned you can just stay here with your stuff."

"No, I'll come." She said quickly "Can I just get my purse and camera bag? Please?"

I sighed. "Fine. But hurry up."

I started back toward the truck and climbed in the drivers seat. She turned and ran to what was left of her car. I couldn't help but notice her petite model like figure that had nice enough curves to make a man quiver. Her tight slim jeans showed off her long shapely legs. Definitely a dangerous woman. Better to steer clear of this one. Beautiful _and _crazy.

She hauled the black bag onto her shoulder and carried a small purse in her other hand as she made her way to the truck.

"Put it in the back" I yelled through the window.

She hobbled to the passengers side and managed to haul it over into the bed. I locked the doors and tried to contain my smile. It never hurt to have a little fun with these kind of people.

She went to the passenger's door and tried to open it. When it didn't open she looked at me expectantly.

"In the back." I motioned with my hands to the bed. I could hear her muffled screams through the window as I started the truck. She was banging on the window when I put it in drive. I started to roll down the road and out of the ditch. She was walking next to the truck screaming at me. I drove faster.

I pulled onto the road and she started jogging to keep up but was falling behind because of the ridiculous contraptions on her feet she must think pass as shoes. I kept going. When I saw her in my rearview running after the truck I figured she might've taken the hint. I stopped the truck and she eventually caught up and climbed into the back. I waited until I was sure she was in before I put it in drive and headed for town.

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**_A/N: The sneak peeks are ready to go. Review and get yours!  
Besos from Staysa & The Almighty Wee One._**


	3. I Definitely Didn't Have Enough Purell

_**A/N: Thank goodness for friends with email. AWO had this on her computer still. three cheers for her!  
**_

_**Disclaimer: I would never, ever claim to be Stephenie Meyer. Especially after the debacle that was BD. That doesn't mean that I don't still love her characters.  
**_

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_**Chapter 3**_

_**Rosalie POV**_

"Thanks, thanks a lot." I yelled sarcastically as I watched the sheriff's truck fly down the road. I turned back and looked to the dinky diner. It looked like something pulled right from a movie. It was so ridiculously bad.

Sighing, I hoisted my camera bag higher up on my shoulder and walked the three steps from the side of the road into the door. An annoying tinkling announced my arrival and a few curious eyes turned in my direction. I pushed a stray piece of hair out of my eye and ignored the stares from the few patrons that looked awake as I walked over to the alcove in the corner clearly marked "phone." I picked it up gingerly, holding it a good distance away from my ear to avoid any of the diseases that inevitably were passed from generation to generation in a place like this. I couldn't hear anything though and I cringed as the cold plastic of the phone touched the skin of my ear. I definitely did not have enough Purell for this.

I slammed the phone back down on the metal holder and banged it repeatedly before finally letting it drop. I watched it as it swung upside down from the metal cord and for a moment imagined doing the same to the man who had left me here. I turned slowly, glaring at the few people who still dared to look at me after my little spectacle, before making my way through the tables to the front counter where a blonde girl stood, a cordless phone to her ear, twirling a piece of hair around her finger.

"Excuse me." I growled as politely as I could. The girl gave me a quick once over before turning to face the other way. "Hey you. Dyed bimbo with the bottle blonde hair. I'm talking to you."

The girl turned around again, her eyes narrowed as she slowly lowered the phone, using her other hand to cover the receiver.

"I'm on the phone." She hissed before walking through the swinging doors that I could only assume led to the kitchen.

I snarled through gritted teeth as I resisted the urge to jump over the counter and wring her fake tanned neck.

"Don't mind Lauren, she can get a little moody when she works opening." A sweet voice said from behind me and I turned to face a pretty woman with long brown hair. The apron she wore covered her protruding belly, but only barely. I wondered what kind of sick people would make a woman work when she looked like she was about to pop. "You look like you could use a cup of coffee."

I nodded slightly as I sat down in one of the bar stools and waited as the waitress waddled around the counter and grabbed a mug from one of the shelves. She held on tight to her belly as she leaned farther over the counter and grabbed onto the pot of coffee that rested at the back. She was smiling when she turned around to face me again.

"I'm Bella." She said as she set the steaming cup down in front of me.

"Rosalie Hale." I offered as I took a tentative drink of the stuff and tried to hide the grimace that would undoubtedly show on my face. "Do you know where I could find a pay phone or maybe where my cell phone might get service?"

"Well, we have the only pay phone in town but as you already noticed it's broken, and no one here uses cell phones."

"Damn." I sighed.

"Might I ask you what brings you to Independence anyway?" She asked kindly.

"I'm here on business." I said simply as I pulled my blackberry out of my pocket once again and glanced at the screen in vain hope.

"Business? In the mountains of Tennessee?" Bella raised an eyebrow. "Are you a taxidermist? I know Em was thinking of hiring one to do the bear he..."

"No. Actually, I'm a fashion photographer for Vogue." I interrupted. "And my boss sent me out here to find some crazy, hillbilly, white trash designer who's probably the lead singer in their own band complete with a washboard, a whiskey jug and a spoon. I have no idea why this shit is even considered fashion, unless of course you're interested in finding something to wear to the next hoe down."

"Oh..." Bella said, her mouth hanging open slightly.

"Please tell me you know where I can find..." I pulled the manila folder out of the top zippered compartment of my camera bag. "Alice Brandon?"

"Alice Brandon? Why didn't you say so in the first place? She's my cousin." She smiled earnestly now and came back around the counter.

"So you can tell me how to get there?" I was relieved to say the least.

"Nope." Bella said as she went to a table that had just been vacated and started clearing the used dishes off of it.

"But...but you just said that she was your cousin. Surely you know where she lives." I cried.

"I did, and I do." Bella nodded as she balanced a few dishes precariously on her bulging baby bump and started to waddle slowly but surely back to the counter.

"What? Is every inhabitant of this town nuts? Look Bella, I don't know what your problem is but all I want to do is get to this damn job and get the hell out of here before I get shot or something. So far today I've been mauled and harassed by an stupid cop and forced to ride in the back of his pickup truck here as bugs ravaged my face. I don't know if you realize this or not but I _don't_ do country. I wouldn't even be doing _this_ if it weren't for the fact that I could lose my job if I didn't. So please Bella, I am begging you from one human being to another." I pressed my palms together in front of me and pleaded like there was no tomorrow.

Bella bit her lip as though she were contemplating something before finally she set the dishes down and turned to me again.

"Fine."

"Oh, thank you so much." I sighed.

"Now, when you leave the diner here, you take a left. That road is Main street. Follow it all the way down for about a mile..."

"A mile?" I asked as I felt my eyes widen and my feet stiffen in my Manolo Blahnik heels.

"Yes." She said curtly. "Follow Main Street for about a mile until you come to a fork in the road, take the left road for a ways until you see a little yellow house. It has a white picket fence and a porch swing. You can't miss it."

"Thanks." I mumbled as I pulled my wallet out of my purse and opened it. I groaned as I realized I only had a five dollar bill inside. I had been hoping to get some cash whenever I

reached civilization again. "You wouldn't happen to have an ATM would you?"

Bella rolled her eyes as she took the cup out from in front of me and then disappeared into the kitchen. I supposed that meant my money wasn't any good here. I hopped down from the

barstool and pulled my camera bag onto my shoulder preparing myself for the task at hand.

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I clunked along the dusty dirt road and gritted my teeth against the pain that my six hundred dollar shoes were now inflicting on my feet. I'd have to have a talk with Mr. Blahnik about creating a new line of fashionable hiking boots. I could have collapsed in exhaustion as soon as the small yellow house came into my view.

I hauled my camera bag higher onto my shoulder and ran a hand through my ragged hair. Straightening my blouse I walked up to the front door, trying to ignore the anguish that my shoes had inflicted on my poor feet during the two mile walk to this hell hole. With a determined stride I marched up to the front door, scoffing at the lack of an address and wondering how anyone in this town found anything. I looked around the white washed front door, trying to find the doorbell, before giving up and using my fist to knock heavily against the wood. It felt like I stood there forever waiting for someone to let me in, or at least acknowledge my arrival. This wasn't _that_ big of a house, how long could it possibly take to get to the door and let me in?

I raised my fist to knock again when suddenly the door swung open. I took an involuntary step backwards as I saw the same imbecile who had left me at the diner to walk the two miles to this place.

"You." I growled quietly as I narrowed my eyes. The smile on his face didn't falter, in fact, it grew even bigger at my appearance.

"'bout time." He guffawed. "Thought you'd never show up. Thought maybe you'd just went ahead and gone home."

"Yeah, well that's a bit hard _without a car._" I screeched. "I'm here to see Alice, but obviously everyone in this town is a bunch of idiots..."

"Who is it Emmett?" A tinkling voice called from the hallway behind where the massive man stood.

"Alice, sweetheart..." Emmett said lovingly over his shoulder. "This lady here says she's going to take some pictures of those clothes you made."

"Oh right..." A tiny woman appeared beside the neanderthal, a blonde little girl was perched on her hip. "Well, let her in. Geeze, Emmett, where are your manners this morning? You're a little late, I didn't know if you'd ever show up."

She laughed quietly and the sound reminded me of the wind chimes my mom used to have hanging on the back porch.

"Don't start..." I mumbled under my breath as my gaze left the dark haired woman and traveled back to the man who had 'rescued me' this morning. I gritted my teeth and smiled as pleasantly as was humanly possible for me and held my hand out for Alice to shake. I hoped the

strain of my attempt at politeness wasn't as obvious to them as it was to me.

"I'm Rosalie Hale, it's a pleasure to finally meet you." I said as she gripped my hand tightly and shook with more force than I had expected from her tiny frame.

Alice's eyebrows raised as her gold-flecked green eyes darted to the man beside her.

"The pleasure's all mine. Why don't you come on in, we were just getting ready to eat breakfast." She smiled.

The little girl in her arms, who couldn't have been more than two, reached over to Emmett and he pulled her into his embrace.

"Daddy." She laughed in her tiny lilted voice and smacked Emmett's cheeks playfully with her chubby hands.

"Careful or you might end up in jail little missy." Emmett boomed and the girl giggled heartily.

He turned around with her in his arms and Alice danced along behind him. I picked up the equipment that I had dropped at my feet and proceeded to follow them through to the back of the house.

The walls in the hallway were painted a muted shade of baby blue that opened up into a quaint and homey kitchen. Over the small island hung an array of pots and pans, underneath of which a little boy sat eating a bowl of what I could only assume was cereal. A small dining table sat in front of a screen door that led out to the back porch. Emmett pulled out a chair and sat down, the little girl on his lap. Alice made her way past them and headed to the stove, where something was sizzling in the cast iron skillet. The aroma was enough to make my mouth water.

"Would you like something to drink?" Alice asked without turning around from where she stood. "We have orange juice, milk, water and coffee. Which would you prefer?"

"Coffee would be great, thanks."

The little boy turned around suddenly, his bright green eyes meeting mine and a smile lighting up his face.

"You're pretty. My name is Elijah, what's yours?" I couldn't help but smile at the abundant happiness that this adorable child exuded.

"Thank you. I'm Rosalie, it's very nice to meet you." Alice's back was to me but I saw her scoop up the contents of the pan on the stove and dump the heaping mass of eggs onto a large bright purple ceramic plate. She walked past me on the way to hand the huevos rancheros to Emmett at the table.

"I get to go swimming today. Ms. Angela is going to teach me how to swim freestyle in the big pool like all the other kids. Are you coming swimming too?"

Alice handed the mug of coffee to me as she walked back to the other side of the island where Elijah was seated. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed the mop of jet

black hair that was on his head.

"No sweetie, she's here to take pictures of mommy's clothes, isn't that nice of her. Now finish eating your breakfast honey, or you're going to be late..."

Elijah's eyes widened and he quickly downed the contents of his bowl before polishing off his glass of orange juice.

"Ready mom." He called in his thick voice.

A horn sounded from somewhere outside and Elijah slid down from his perch and bounded around the island, enveloping my legs in a tight hug.

"Bye Rosalie." He called before sprinting out of the kitchen with Alice hot on his heels. He reminded me of the kids I had photographed a few years ago for the association for children with downs syndrome.

The little girl bounced off Emmett's knee and toddled after her mommy. I looked over to Emmett. I watched as he shoveled food into his mouth like a starving lumberjack in the middle of winter.

"You've got some nerve. You knew all along who I was looking for and you left me at that ridiculous diner to walk the two miles to get here?" I nearly shouted.

" I didn't know that you were looking for _my_ Alice. She goes by the name of Alice Whitlock around here."

"Yes, cause there are so many people around here named Alice who _design clothes._"

"You never know." He answered as he pushed another fork full into his mouth.

"You are such a pig." I growled as Alice walked back into the room.

"You tell him sister." She laughed as she took the almost empty away from him.

"I wasn't finished with that." He yelled.

"You are now. You don't have manners, you don't eat in my house." She scolded, rapping him on the top of his head with the spoon.

"Tell that to Miss Priss over there. You should have heard all the nice things she had to say about your clothes when I picked her up this morning."

My mouth fell open as I gaped at the astounding rudeness that one person could transude. I wanted to kill him.

"You're one to talk. You broke into my car, tried to leave me in the middle of nowhere, made me ride in the back of that stupid pickup all the way into town, left me at the idiotic diner to walk the two miles to get here and then you have the nerve to call _me_ rude? Who the hell do you think you are? You know what, don't even answer that. I'm done." I spun around quickly, realizing only too late that the heel of my shoe was caught on the strap of my camera bag.

I felt everything in slow motion as the pretty honey oak wood floors came rushing up and then the world went black.

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_**A/N: Sneak Peek for a review. **_


	4. The Last Cousin I Had

_**A/N: Sorry for the delay everyone, and I'm very sorry if you didn't get your sneak peek. I just got back from my vacation. California is...amazing. **_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own it. **_

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_**Chapter 4**_

_**Emmett's POV**_

"Not again." I groaned as I saw Alice rush over to the unconscious broad splayed across her kitchen floor.

"Emmett! Do something!" I sighed and hauled myself out of the chair. So much for a relaxed breakfast before my midmorning nap. A moment later Tatum came running into the room

"Ut oh! She got booboo." She chimed happily.

"She sure does sweetheart." I smiled at her vocabulary. It wasn't very often that Tatum said more than 'daddy' or 'mommy'. It was something that Alice had a hard time accepting considering her own loquaciousness.

"Emmett!" Alice shrieked

"I'm coming, I'm coming." I walked over and hauled the limp woman onto my shoulder. She was going to be out cold for a while which was probably a good thing cause when she came to she was not going to be happy.

"Are you sure you should lift her? I could call Jasper and have him come home. Is she going to be alright?"

"Sure she will be. Worst shes got is a concussion and sprained ankle. No point in bringing him all the way out here when it would be just as fast to take her in the truck."

"Well... we'll go with you. Tatum, get your sandals on, were going to see Daddy."

I walked down the hallway toward the front door. I heard a groan from over my back and picked up the pace. I didn't want her feet anywhere near my face when she woke up. By the time we got to the truck Alice and Tatum were right behind us. Alice opened the cab door to lay Miss Priss on the back seat. I crawled in as Alice pulled Tatum on her lap and buckled the seat belt.

"Let's go!"

"Alice, she is going to be fine... just relax."

"I can't believe this is the girl you were talking about earlier. You made her out to be a monster! She seems like a nice enough girl to me. Maybe if you hadn't been such a bonehead and used that big ol' noggin of yours for something other than banging into stuff she would have been a bit nicer to you."

"Mmm-hmm..." I flew down the gravel road eager to get the hens out of the coop. Five more minutes tops and I could be rid of the estrogen.

"She is a pretty thing isn't she? I was surprised when she said she was going to be _taking_ the pictures instead of being _in_ them."

"Mmm-hmm..." I conceded again as I drove faster.

"Mommy yook!" Tatum squealed.

Alice looked over her shoulder to check on the body in the back seat.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

_**Rosalie's POV**_

I moaned as I felt the pain stab through my head. It felt like I had been hit by a truck and my ankle was killing me too.

"Oh, Emmett, she's coming to." I heard a voice say and I groggily opened my eyes to see two eager faces looking at me. Alice sat in the passenger seat, her body angled to face me. The little girl was perched on her lap, the seat belt around both of them.

"Shouldn't she be in a car seat?" I mumbled as I tried to nod my head in the baby's direction but stopped when the searing pain reared from the most minuscule of movements.

"Are you okay?" Alice cried a bit too loudly for my headache, ignoring my question.

"Just great." I muttered as I closed my eyes again against the light from outside.

"We're taking you to the doctors office, it's sort of like our own little hospital here in town and..."

"Alice." Emmett interrupted her.

I didn't open my eyes but I could hear a hushed conversation taking place in the front seat and I had a feeling it was about me. Great, now not only did I have a psycho sheriff on my bad side but the rest of this town. Suddenly, Emmett slammed on the brakes, and I found myself sprawled on the floor of the cramped pickup cab. The little girl was squealing in delight as I painfully tried to right myself and Alice beat the crap out of Emmett as she shouted about being an 'insensitive jerk'.

"Are you okay?" Alice asked hurriedly as she turned to see me halfway between the seat and floor, using my elbow for support. I nodded mutely and Alice turned her attention away from me to glower at Emmett. "Apologize."

"For what? I was just parking. " Emmett chortled, but quickly held up his hands in front of his face as Alice raised her fists again.

"Apologize and then help her inside." Alice commanded as she unbuckled her and her daughter from the seat and slid out of the truck, slamming the door behind her. I grimaced as the noise sent a fresh wave of pain radiating through my skull and nausea boiling up into my stomach.

Emmett sighed as he let himself out of his door and then pushed his seat forward.

"I am sorry Miss Priss for slamming on the brakes, and therefore causing you to fall into the floor." He said in a dull, dry voice and I could see a hint of a smile on his lips.

"_Hmpf._" I replied as I crossed my arms and set my jaw, turning my head away from him.

I could hear his quiet chuckle and I tried not to let the sound fill my ears, as I realized just how pleasant it sounded.

"Well, come on then." He finally sighed and before I could turn to find out what he wanted I was being hoisted up out of the backseat and into his massive arms. My weight seemed to be nothing to him as he effortlessly held me to him and kicked the door of his truck shut with one leg before walking into the small clinic that stood in front of us.

"Did you apologize?" I heard Alice ask as she opened the door to let us through.

"Yes." Emmett sang mockingly.

"Did he?" She raised an eyebrow as she looked at me expectantly and I nodded my head slightly in ascent.

Emmett seemed to know what he was doing as he expertly walked down the hallway and took me into an empty room, setting me down on the examining table. I couldn't help but notice that his hands were surprisingly gentle for someone of his size.

The white paper crinkled underneath me as I shifted so that I was more comfortable. Emmett walked quietly to the other side of the room and leaned against the wall there. Alice came in shortly after, her daughter trailing behind her, and planted herself in the chair beside him. Emmett looked anywhere but me but it felt like Alice's eyes were boring into my skull and I shifted restlessly, silently pleading the doctor to come in.

Then, when he finally did, my mouth fell open. He was young, blonde, and sexier than any of the doctors from Grey's anatomy. He had a chart in his hands as he walked, his eyes fixed on it as he read whatever was written there, and I used the time to quickly compose myself. I bit my lip as he looked up, a smile on his face, and met my eyes.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Whitlock, you must be Rosalie Hale?"

"Yes." I said quietly as I nodded my head.

"Daddy." The little girl squealed again and I looked over to see Alice stand up, the little girl in her arms, and walk over to the doctor.

"Hey Tate." He said as he took the little girl from Alice and kissed her cheek.

"Hi daddy." She smiled.

"Hey baby." Dr. Whitlock sighed as he reached over to kiss Alice on the lips. "What are you doing here?"

"Wait..." I said stupidly as I stared at the picture before me. "You mean...you mean you're with him too?"

"Rosalie, this is my husband Jasper. Jasper this is the photographer that vogue sent and who Emmett made fall over and hurt herself." Alice laughed as she gestured between us.

"You mean you _aren't _married to Emmett?"

The whole room exploded into laughter at that and I felt the blood rush to my cheeks in a very uncharacteristic blush.

"God no." Alice finally breathed once her laughter had quieted. "Emmett is my cousin."

I felt like an idiot as Jasper began his exam of my head and my ankle. After a few minutes of poking and prodding it was determined that I had a minor concussion and a twisted ankle. I would be fine with a little rest and relaxation, none of which I would be getting anytime soon.

"I don't think it would be a wise idea for you to be walking around in those death traps either..." Jasper laughed as he pointed to my shoes that Alice was cradling in her arms.

Alice's jaw dropped as she stared at her husband. Emmett chortled from his corner of the room where Tatum now rested in his arms.

"Well if _somebody_ had let me grab my suitcase from my car this morning," I fumed "I might be able to do that. But unfortunately, unless I walked the twelve miles back..."

"It's only eight." Emmett chimed and I glared in his direction.

"Well you could always borrow some of mine. What size are you?" Alice suggested.

"Eight and a half."

"Oh, I don't think that's gonna work. I only wear a five, but I'm sure you could borrow some of Bella's. She's about that size. She should still be at the diner, we can just walk down there."

"Eat lunch?" Emmett asked hopefully.

"Yes." Alice sighed, rolling her eyes. "You gluttonous pig."

"Well if someone hadn't interrupted my breakfast..." He said with a sidelong glance in my direction.

"Don't even start." I growled.

"Well I have an appointment in ten minutes so I'll meet you there..." Jasper said as he kissed Alice one more time and walked out of the room.

With that Emmett passed Tatum to Alice before swiftly lifting me from the table.

"Let's go wifey," Emmett laughed as he winked at Alice.

"Please, I wouldn't marry you if you were the last cousin I had."

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_**A/N: So I we were able to get my chapters of this off of my computer. Thank goodness, so the sneak peeks are ready to go. Unless of course I can get 15 or more reviews today and then I'll post another chapter. **_


	5. So I Did What I Did Best: I Lied

_**Disclaimer: We don't own anything.**_

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_**Chapter 5**_

_**Rosalie POV**_

We didn't even have to drive the truck down to the diner, considering it was only about a block away. Emmett cradled me in his arms the entire time before unceremoniously dumping me into one of the red, vinyl upholstered booths.

"Back so soon?" Bella called from where she sat rolling silverware behind the counter. "You look a little worse for wear."

"Ha ha. Funny." I grumbled under my breath as I sat back against the plastic seat, watching as Emmett warmly enveloped her in a hug, rubbing her belly.

I ignored the feeling in the pit of my stomach as I tried to read through the menu.

"Try the club sandwich, it's amazing." Alice said as she slid in across from me with Tatum on her lap.

I nodded my head and tried not to let my gaze flicker back to where Emmett stood with Bella. I could see them out of the corner of my eye as Bella waddled over to our booth, the big oaf trailing behind her.

"Hells Bells, you already met Rosalie?" Emmett thundered as Bella reached our table.

"Sure did, and she had some great things to say about you." Bella smiled as she slid in beside Alice and Tatum reached up to place a sloppy kiss on her cheek.

"Who doesn't?" Emmet asked as he plopped himself down beside me in the seat and winked in my direction. The smile on his face was so big that his dimples looked permanently embedded into his cheeks. "I'm one hot fu..."

"Emmett!" Alice said as she pointed to her daughter.

"Fun guy?" He stated, making it sound more like a question.

"So, Rosalie..." Alice turned to me, ignoring Emmett, a smile on her lips. "Just out of curiosity, how did you become a photographer? Because it seems to me like you'd be more fit in _front _of a camera than behind it."

I nodded my head slowly. I was used to this. The asinine assumptions that I was an air head, a dumb blonde. Someone spoiled by wealth. Usually I would snap back with some sarcastic comment about stereotypes, but the completely interested and immersed look on Alice's face stopped me. She was really curious and completely sincere.

"Um... My dad. He bought me a camera when I was twelve. My mom had wanted me to take dancing lessons or gymnastics or enter me into one of those ridiculous pageants, but I hardly stayed still long enough to get my hair brushed and my dad figured I needed to learn some patience and..." I didn't know what else to say, to explain that my dad had wanted me to learn to find the beauty in other things before I found the beauty in myself. So I did what I did best. I lied. "And he thought photography was a good way to do that. Especially when you develop your own pictures."

Alice smiled at me as the same blonde haired woman from this morning came to take our drink orders. I could tell just by looking at the woman across from me that the smile she wore on her face was genuine.

"So, you're one of those girls then are you?" Emmett spoke up from beside me as he slung his arm around the back of the booth.

"_Em_..." Alice hissed under her breath and I stopped to turn and look at the man beside me.

"What are you talking about?" I asked simply.

"I'm talking about the spoiled rotten princess who gets whatever she wants just by going and crying to daddy about it. What did he buy you that new car too? I bet he won't be happy that he's going to have to buy you a new one now is he?" I wanted so much to slug the smug look of his face as he stared at me, waiting for me to defend myself. To either prove that he was right or prove that I wasn't worth Alice or Bella's time.

The anger bubbled up inside of me and I felt my chest heave as I tried to contain it. I could faintly hear the sound of the tinkling bell above the door sound to announce someone else's arrival, but my eyes were currently locked in a vice grip with Emmett's. Even as my fists clenched together and my nails pressed deeply into the palms of my hands, I couldn't help but notice how beautiful his eyes really were. They were a rich, deep chocolate brown and they seemed like bottomless pools as I stared into them.

"Emmett Christopher McCarty!" Alice snapped and he chuckled as he broke away from my gaze and looked across the table.

"I...I need out." I said sharply as I grabbed my purse tightly by the handle and waited silently for him to move.

"What?" He turned his head back to me, his brow furrowed.

"I. Need. Out." I repeated as I gritted my teeth. He looked across the table again, but finally relented as he shrugged his shoulders and stood up. I didn't hesitate as I stood up and stormed toward the door. Well, stormed as much as I could as I avoided putting too much weight on my ankle. I could hear the murmur of voices behind me and more than one was chastising Emmett, but I didn't care. I had to get out of here and if that meant I had to walk however long it took to get back to the highway, I would do it.

"Hey! Miss Priss wait!" I rolled my eyes and continued out the door and down the sidewalk. "Please wait or they're going to beat the shit out of me."

"What? You want to make more wrong assumptions about me? Go right ahead." I growled as I continued hobbling forward without stopping.

Suddenly, a warm hand grasped my elbow and stopped me forcefully in my tracks. I staggered slightly from the jolt and his other hand rested on the sliver of skin that was showing just barely between my pants and my halter top. I shivered at the feeling that ran from the nape of my neck down to the end of my spine just at the contact.

"Look, they want me to apologize . . . and they're right. I'm being an ass okay? And for that I am sorry. But you can't deny that you certainly seem like the type that would . . . " He stopped as he blatantly looked me up and down. The first time I had seen him check me out. It wasn't that it bothered me particularly, I was used to being hit on or looked at like this, it had been happening for years. What bothered me more was that he knew nothing about me and yet he still acted as though he did.

"That would what?" I snapped.

"That would never have had to work a day in her life. That would live off mommy and daddy until she found another poor sap to mooch off of. The kind that gets whatever she wants at the snap of her fingers."

"You don't know me." I whispered fiercely as I tried my hardest not to succumb to the rage that was building inside of me. "You don't know anything about me."

"True but . . . "

"But nothing. Look _Emmett_." I spat. "My _mommy_ and _daddy_ died when I was seventeen. I had to be legally emancipated so I didn't get sent to a group home. I lived with the few friends I _did_ have left after all the money was gone, until I had finished high school and then I had to work three jobs to put myself through college. So don't you _dare_ typecast me. You probably grew up in the same house all your life with both your mom and your dad and what . . . three siblings? A dog? Your cousin obviously still loves you and you have a great job that isn't constantly being threatened to be ripped out from under you. So if you want to stereotype someone why don't you do it to yourself?" I didn't wait to hear his answer as I turned back around and started limping away. I heard his heavy sigh behind me and for a moment I felt satisfied. That is, until his booming voice echoed from behind me.

"No, actually, I didn't grow up with all of that. My mom, Renée, was a hippie and she fell in love with a musician when she went to Nashville when she was sixteen. That's how I was conceived. I don't even know my real father. She came back with her tail tucked between her legs and a baby on her hip and luckily found Charlie Swan, my stepfather and Bella's dad. You try growing up an illegitimate child in a town this small and tell me how you like it. Top it all off with the fact that Charlie was constantly working and Renée being the flighty, fickle mom she is and I got stuck raising my baby sister. So no, I don't have a perfect life. That makes two of us."

I was surprised that he was still following me as I stumbled away from the diner, from him.

"But you're right. I shouldn't have assumed that you were like . . . like that. It wasn't right of me. Would you please stop walking away from me now?" His hand grabbed my arm again and the same surge of electricity passed between us and from the way he released my arm quickly, I wondered if he had felt it too. "I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted." I mumbled as I stared down at my feet, only now noticing that they were bare.

"Edward, Bella's husband, brought some shoes for you."

I nodded my head and bit my lip. I knew I should probably apologize for my ranting and raving, but I had never been the type to do that. I couldn't remember the last time I had willingly apologized to someone and the words no matter how easy, were stuck in my throat.

"We should probably get back. Alice said she was going to order for you so . . . "

I looked up and caught his eye, he was smiling gently and his dimples were prominent even with the slightest movement of his features. He really wasn't all that bad.

"Thanks." I nodded and took a tentative step forward.

"Here, let me help."

Before I could respond, I was in his arms again and he was carrying me effortlessly back to the diner.

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_**A/N: Review for a sneak peek. **_


	6. Worse Than The Town Drunk

_**A/N: I'm having an OC-a-thon and thought I'd post this while I vegged out in front of the T.V. **_

**_Disclaimer: AWO and I co-own the plot...but nothing else really. _**

_**Chapter 6**_

_**Emmett POV**_

"Emmett, Look what you did!" Alice cried as she threw her spoon at me.

"I didn't _do_ anything. I just made an observation..."

Both Bella and Alice cocked their eyebrows at me and I sighed as I rolled my eyes.

"Go after her you idiot." Bella scolded as she gestured to the door. "And apologize."

"Why should I?"

"Because not all girls are like Chloe. And you can't just assume that Rosalie is... Not every nice, smart, beautiful girl is out to break your heart Em..." Alice sighed

"And. Because if you don't, I'll kick your..."

"Bells..." Alice motioned to tatum who was coloring on a napkin with crayons Alice had pulled out of her magical bag. It seemed to have everything in it.

"You get the point." Bella conceded

"Yeah, and I'm really scared of you and your eight month old fetus. Right." I chortled. I stopped when I felt a firm hand grasp onto my shoulder. Edward stood above me, his eyes menacing as he glared at me. If there was one thing I was sure of, Edward wouldn't hesitate to kick my ass while defending a girl. I hadn't hesitated to do it to him in fifth grade and although he looked scrawny he knew how to make a man hit the floor in seconds.

"Alright, alright. Fine." I said as I threw my hands up in the air and followed after the girl.

I could vaguely hear Alice yell that she would order the food if I wasn't back in five minutes. I groaned as the word salad was tossed around and I hastened my steps.

"Hey! Miss Priss wait!" I called as I bounded up behind her. She was just barely reaching the door on her lame leg and I couldn't help but feel a little bit sorry for her. I guess I did kind of feel sorry for her. It _was_ partly my fault that she had fallen this morning after all. "Please wait or they're going to beat the shit out of me."

"What? You want to make more wrong assumptions about me? Go right ahead." She didn't stop walking as she said this and I almost wanted to tell her that she was going in the wrong direction but this would buy me more time in case she decided to go all Kong-fu on my ass again.

I hated to admit it but I was kind of scared of that woman. She had one mean punch and I was sure that just because I was colossally huge next to her, wouldn't mean she wouldn't try and take me down. I sucked it up as I reached out and firmly grabbed onto her elbow, spinning her around to face me. She stumbled as I did it and on instinct I reached out and grabbed her hip. Goosebumps raised on my arm as I felt the silky smooth skin of her hips come into contact with my fingertips.

"Look, they want me to apologize...and they're right. I'm being an ass okay? And for that I am sorry. But you can't deny that you certainly seem like the type that would..." What had I wanted to say? Have rough, wild sex with me? Bear my children? Make me fall in love with her? I didn't even notice that I _was_ checking her out until my eyes returned to her face. The anger that was seething behind her violet blue eyes was terrifying and sexy.

"That would what?" She snapped, breaking me out of my daze and forcing me to return my attention to the matter at hand.

"That would never have had to work a day in her life. That would live off mommy and daddy until she found another poor sap to mooch off of. The kind that gets whatever she wants at the snap of her fingers." I hadn't meant it to come out like that. In fact, those weren't the words I had been planning on saying at all. But something about my prejudice against beautiful women was beginning to overcome my brain. I knew I shouldn't let my past get in the way. I should be able to shrug it off and move on. Like I had told everyone else I had. But for some reason a part of me was still holding on. Whatever that reason was.

"You don't know me." She whispered angrily. "You don't know anything about me."

"True but..."

"But nothing. Look _Emmett_. My _mommy_ and _daddy_ died when I was seventeen. I had to be legally emancipated so I didn't get sent to a group home. I lived with the few friends I _did_ have left after all the money was gone, until I had finished high school and then I had to work three jobs to put myself through college. So don't you _dare_ typecast me. You probably grew up in the same house all your life with both your mom and your dad and what...three siblings? A dog? Your cousin obviously still loves you and you have a great job that isn't constantly being threatened to be ripped out from under you. So if you want to stereotype someone why don't you do it to yourself?" I was shocked as she spun on her good heel and started limping away. I had never stopped to think that maybe she didn't have the _perfect _life. Maybe she was like Edward whose dad died before he was born, or like Alice who blamed her tiny body on her ability to produce healthy children. Maybe she was like me. But how dare she assume that I had had the perfect life. That I had been blessed enough to be raised with a white picket fence and a dog. Renée was allergic to dogs. I rolled my eyes as I started off after her.

"No, actually, I didn't grow up with all of that. My mom, Renée, was a hippie and she fell in love with a musician when she went to Nashville when she was sixteen. That's how I was conceived. I don't even know my real father. She came back with her tail tucked between her legs and a baby on her hip and luckily found Charlie Swan, my stepfather and Bella's dad. You try growing up an illegitimate child in a town this small and tell me how you like it. Top it all off with the fact that Charlie was constantly working and Renée being the flighty, fickle woman she is and I got stuck raising my baby sister. So no, I don't have a perfect life. That makes two of us."

I almost just grabbed her and threw her over my shoulder as she continued to march on, only faltering in her steps for a fraction of a second as I spouted off all my families gory details. Or, the ones everyone else in town knew at least. I resisted the urge but hastened my steps as I continued to follow her as she walked towards the middle of town.

"But you're right. I shouldn't have assumed that you were like..." I stopped myself as the name caught in my throat. "Like that. It wasn't right of me. Would you please stop walking away from me now?" I reached out again and gently grabbed her arm. "I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted." She mumbled as she stared down at her feet. She wiggled her pink toes and I realized that the sidewalk would probably be scorching hot from the late afternoon sun that hung high in the sky, and she didn't have shoes on.

"Edward, Bella's husband, brought some shoes for you." She nodded in assent but continued to stare down at her feet. I could see her gnawing on her bottom lip and she cleared her throat quietly a couple of times as though she had something to say though she never did. "We should probably get back. Alice said she was going to order for us so..."

She looked up then and her eyes met mine. The anger that had been there before was still there, but buried deeper within. I could still see the glow from it yet it wasn't as prominent as it had been. Her lips twitched as I grinned tentatively at her and she nodded her head.

"Thanks." She muttered and I watched as she hobbled forward. No doubt Alice would deem it ass whooping time if I didn't at least help her inside and off of the searing concrete.

"Here, let me help." I sucked in a deep breath and pleaded to whatever deity that happened to be watching over me that she wouldn't kick my butt to Timbuktu for touching her as I wrapped my arm securely around her waist and bent down to hold her legs in my other arm.

She set her jaw as I held her in my arms and I cringed as a look of repulsion settled over her face. I had no idea what was up with her but I made it back to the diner in record time and pushed through the door before setting her back down in the booth, this time beside the girls who sat across from Edward and Jasper. Bella smiled as she handed a pair of converse to Rosalie and Rose nodded as she set them down on the floor beneath her. Obviously she wasn't one for flats. I snorted inwardly as I remembered the shoes that she had been wearing this morning. The ones that made it so difficult for her to walk that she ended up looking like the town drunk. I'd had to deal with him a couple of times too...she was worse. At least he had never broken my nose.

"Oh, Jake called." Alice said cheerily as she sipped her milkshake. "He said something about going by there after lunch. Which reminds me, where is Rosalie going to stay?"

"I won't be staying. But thanks." Rosalie muttered as she played with the napkin roll on the table in front of her.

Alice smirked and shook her head and I saw her and Bella exchange a quick glance. This was not going to be pretty. Whenever those two got together it was like ammonia and bleach.

"Well just in case..." Alice smiled.

"I would offer up our house, but we've barely got enough room for just Bella and I." Edward sighed. "And with all the baby stuff that _someone_ happened to buy us." Alice rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to say something before Jasper quickly cut her off. I had to give it to him, he knew his wife.

"And seeing as Alice decided she needed to redo the guest room, I'm afraid our house is out of the question as well..."

I groaned as four pairs of eyes turned to look at me. Edward and Jasper's looked somewhat sympathetic. While Bella and Alice's looked dangerously mischievous. I glared at all of them and turned my head, thanking Jesus and whoever else might have been working in my favor as our food showed up just at that moment. Jessica threw one of her 'looks' in my direction but I ignored it as I dug into my chicken fried steak, not even bothering to use the 'manners' Bella and Alice always insisted I use whenever there was company around. I kept shoveling the food into my mouth, knowing that they would never bother to talk to me while I had food in front of me. And I racked my brain for a good enough excuse to get out of this good Samaritan act of kindness that I had been trapped into. Nothing was coming to mind as I polished off the gravy from my plate. I sighed and threw my napkin down. I could only hope that Jacob had been able to fix her car. Alice and Bella may not _think_ she was like Chloe but I certainly didn't want her to hang around long enough to find out.

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**_A/N: A review garners a sneak peek. And really...The O.C. is about all I have going for me right now. Feel free to flood my inbox.  
Besos._**

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	7. Just Trust Me On This

_**A/N: This is pretty short...just like Alice. AWO wrote it blame her.  
**_

_**Disclaimer: We don't own it. **_

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_**Chapter 7**_

_**Alice POV**_

"Do you think he'll get her to come back in?" Bella asked as she colored a picture with Tatum's pink crayon. Edward had sat down opposite us and I had quickly filled him in on the details of Emmett and Rosalie's relationship. Of course, he had to go act all _noble_ and tell me I should learn to mind my own business. But I poked my tongue at him and then began working on a no-fail plan in my head.

"Of course he will. He's your brother. Who can resist his charm?" I laughed but stopped short when Bella interrupted me with a death glare. Of course we knew _one_ person that could. But we'd rather not think of her. "Besides that."

Edward chuckled lightly to himself and Bells shook her head, her mahogany hair floating around her face. Bella hated talking about those dark days in the Swan/McCarty household. We all did really.

"Daddy." Tatum squealed suddenly and I looked up to see Jasper walking towards our booth, his face confused.

"What..."

"Emmett." Three voices cut him off in explanation and he smirked as he nodded his head in understanding.

"Leave it to him to put his foot in his mouth." Jasper chortled as he bent down to kiss Tate's cheek and then slid into the seat next to Edward.

"He puts everything else in there." I pointed out as Jessica put our drinks on the table, and then stood waiting for our orders. Bella waved her away with a flick of her hand, her eyes still intently focused on the napkin in front of her.

I sat in absolute silence, listening to the sound of crayon against napkin as my daughter drew what she kept repeating was a cat, but then again, her vocabulary was quite limited so it could be something else. I was vaguely aware of the phone ringing, and Jasper and Edward talking about something or other, and the sound of Eric Yorkie's spatula against the grill in the back.

"Hey, where did Emmett go?" I looked up to see Lauren standing there, the cordless phone once again attached to her ear.

"Outside. He'll be right back. Why?" Jasper answered before I could pull myself out of my self induced stupor. Lauren said something into the phone, probably repeating what had just been dictated to her before nodding and then hanging up. It might have shocked me to see her without it except that as usual, her mouth was moving a mile a minute.

"Jacob called and said that he needed to talk to Emmett about some kind of car and something about needing a part and not being able to get it yet and anyway, have Em go over there soon."

Jasper nodded and Lauren picked up the phone again, her fingers already dialing as she disappeared through the kitchen doors letting them swing shut behind her. Suddenly, the metaphorical lightbulb in my head flickered to life.

"Ah. That's it." I knew I needn't explain that I had just had an epiphany as soon as I saw the all too weary looks on Jasper and Edward's faces.

"No Alice." Bella chided.

"Yes Bells. It will work perfectly. Trust me."

"Last time I trusted you, I ended up on a date with Mike Newton to make Edward jealous. I will _never_ live that down you know."

"_Pfft_. It's not _my _fault you let Mike take you to the wrong restaurant when I had sent Edward to the right one. Besides, you two are married now, it all worked out in the end."

"Ali..." Jasper pleaded, his blue eyes wide.

"Don't _Ali _me. Look, those two are perfect for each other. I can see it. All we have to do is get them to spend some time together. And the perfect way to do that is making Emmett offer her a place to stay. Just trust me on this...I know I'm Right."

The look on all three of their faces told me I was alone in this but I figured once Emmett was back in here, there was nothing they could do to stop me. And besides, Jasper hated sleeping on the couch...he'd cave.

"Why are you so adamant about these two being together?" Jasper asked as he leaned closer to me over the table. I almost didn't answer him. But it wasn't like me to keep secrets from him. Or Bella or Edward for that matter. We knew everything about each other. Some things I didn't even want to know.

"Jazz... you didn't see her. With Elijah. I mean, she was a natural with him. No one ever does that. Usually they act like he is a social pariah or something but she didn't. And she's sweet and smart and beautiful. Emmett needs this."

"Just because she was good with Eli doesn't mean that..."

"No, I know it doesn't _mean_ anything, it's just that I can feel it in my bones. Everything about them would be perfect together. And...I hate seeing him like this. He's like the fifth wheel and I can tell he hates it. No matter how much he says he doesn't."

I stopped to look around at my friends faces. Edward looked thoughtful, Jasper shocked, and Bella looked reluctant.

"He deserves to be happy too..." I whispered as I ducked my head down, effectively putting the final nail in the coffin so to speak.

Edward chuckled into his hand and Jasper groaned and I had to work hard to suppress the giggles that were building up in my throat. Everything I said was true, Emmett _did_ deserve to be happy. After everything he did for all of us, he needed a bit of happiness too. And I was going to make damn sure he got it, whether he liked it or not.

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**_A/N: Review for a sneak peek. _**


	8. He Was Not Coming On To Me

**_A/N: There seemed to be a lot of confusion so I thought I should clear it up. Elijah is Jasper and Alice's son. He has Downs Syndrome. Tatum is his little sister and Jasper and Alice's daughter. She doesn't talk much. Chloe...is a mystery. Hopefully not for too much longer though.  
_**

**_Disclaimer: We don't own it._**

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_**Chapter 8**_

_**Rosalie POV**_

I was trying to walk as quickly as I could without actually catching up to Emmett. His long legs were carrying him down the street toward where he _said_ the mechanics were, but by the glares he was throwing in my direction for the duration of lunch, I wouldn't have been surprised if he had been taking me out into the boonies to dispose of me. Honestly, the boy had more mood swings than a menopausal lady. One minute he would be laughing at something Edward had said or making fun of Bella's round tummy, and the next he would be dark and brooding and staring at me as though willing me to spontaneously combust.

Alice had told him that someone had called while we were outside concerning my car and I had quickly dug into my meal. The sooner I got my baby back, the sooner I could get what I needed for my spread and get the hell out of here. Obviously, Emmett had had the same idea. Although, if it had been for Bella commanding her older brother to slow down before he choked, I would never have noticed he was eating any faster than he had been this morning. The food was good though, just as heavenly as Alice had promised it would be. If it hadn't been for my unsatiable need to get my car and go, I might have actually enjoyed the lunch and the company it offered. As it was, I did learn enough about the people I sat with to know that they were good people. Emmett excluded.

Suddenly, Emmett stopped in front of a small faded house that looked like it might have been red some time ago. He spared a quick glance in my direction before walking onward on the pathway that led past the house and toward a tan shop situated slightly behind and to the left of the house. I rolled my eyes but followed anyway, thanking Bella in my head for her shoes, as the rough terrain made me wobble unsteadily on my feet.

Emmett didn't even bother to slow down or stop as he reached the door to the shop, choosing instead to keep marching through the door on the front and then proceeding to let it swiftly fall shut behind him. I heaved a sigh and meandered my way through the tire rutted driveway to the door he had disappeared through. As soon as the I walked through the heavy door, the familiar smell of the mechanics hit me like a ton of bricks. I felt a small pang in the pit of my stomach as the odor brought back memories of my childhood. Days spent with my dad underneath the hood of his car while my mom would gripe halfheartedly about the grease stains on my nice clothes.

I forced the memories from my head as I propelled myself forward toward the counter that stood in front of the shelves. Emmett leaned against it, his body taking up most of the room in front of the counter while he talked to the tall, dark skinned man who stood behind it. They didn't seem to take any notice of me as I sidled to the other side of the counter, eager to find out about my car.

"Yeah, well like I said all along it's not our fault. We could have it done today if we wanted to. Lord knows Jake is dying to get his hands dirty with it but..."

"Come on man, you've got to be kidding me." Emmett growled as he ran a hand through his brown curls.

The tall guy laughed quietly at Emmett, his deep voice reverberating through his vocal chords as his white teeth shone brightly against his dark skin. Then as if seeming to notice me for the first time he glanced sideways at me. The double take he did was almost comical and I watched as his eyes widened as he looked me over. I raised my eyebrows at his very obvious ogling and chanced a glance at Emmett from the corner of my eye. His posture was rigid as he sent one of his, what I was now assuming famous, death glares at the man before slamming his hand down hard on the counter.

"Let me talk to Jake then." He demanded and I focused my attention back on the man behind the counter. I was sure he would have been running full hilt to find whoever this Jake was, but instead I found him leaning against the counter, his eyes shifting slowly back and forth between Emmett and I as though calculating something. "_now_." Emmett added in a menacing tone, but from the smirk on the mans face, I deduced that he wasn't intimidated in the slightest.

"Okay, okay." He sighed as he held his hands up in front of him like he was surrendering, before turning his head toward the door. "Jake" He yelled and I cringed away from the sudden outburst.

Emmett continued to seethe beside me and I crossed my arms over my chest as the other man's stares started to become more pronounced. The sound of a clock ticking somewhere echoed throughout the room and I had to fight the urge to sigh or tap my foot against the concrete floor beneath me. Patience had never really been my strong suit, photography or not.

"You called?" A voice called and I looked up just in time to see yet another man enter the room. His russet colored skin was covered in grease and his white tank top was adorned with sporadic oil stains. He was wiping his hands on cloth as he came up to join the party at the front of the shop. "Why hello. You must be..."

"Rosalie Hale." I interjected.

"May I say Miss..it is miss right?" I nodded slightly as my eyes narrowed. He was _not_ coming on to me in a mechanics shop. "That you have one beautiful car. And so _clean _too. I mean the engine on this thing...well you must have one hell of a mechanic back home."

"You could say that." I said dryly as I felt my eyes roll of their own accord.

"Oh. I'm Jacob by the way." He said and I saw him scrutinize the state of his hand before settling on shoving it in the front pocket of his jeans. "And this is Embry."

The other man nodded his head in my direction before turning around and walking back toward the shelves behind him.

"And this..." Jacob said as he held his hands out to gesture around him. "Is Embrake mechanics."

I watched as he stopped, the corners of his lips pulling up as he stared expectantly at my face.

"What?"

"Get it? Embry and Jake? Embrake. Like 'emergency brake'..." He explained, laughing at his own clever name.

"Cute. Look, I'm here about my car so if..."

"Yeah..." Jake said hesitantly and out of the corner of my eye I saw Emmett take one full step away from the counter. "About that... you see, turns out the nearest parts store that even _carries_ what we need is about twelve...hundred...miles away. Give or take."

"And you're telling me this because?"

"Because we're not exactly the first stop on the UPS route."

"What are you trying to say?" I asked as I clenched my jaw and took a step forward.

"Well... it's just, a little more than we bargained for is all."

"So you can't fix it?"

"No, I never said that. Of course we can fix it."

"I don't understand _Jacob_. If you can fix it then _what _exactly is the problem?" I snarled.

"It might take a little longer. But don't worry, we'll have it up and running like new in..." Jacob stopped then, his eyes following a direct route to where Emmett stood behind me now and he seemed to shrink back from whatever he saw there. "Seven days. Nine tops."

"What?" Emmett and I roared at the same time, our voices a perfect blend of bass and alto.

"Look it's just...well we don't get many calls to fix cars like this around here..."

"Then I'll take it somewhere else." I growled.

"If that's what you want to do but I hope you're prepared to push it the twenty miles to the next garage, because it isn't going anywhere anytime soon without the parts we ordered."

I opened my mouth to retaliate, but was stopped short when Emmett appeared at my side again. His hands rested against the counter, his palms pressing into the smooth surface as though he were trying to hold himself there.

"Please Jake..." Emmett begged and while I should be happy that we were finally seeing eye to eye on something, I couldn't shake the feeling of sadness that washed over me knowing that he was more or less dying to be rid of me.

"Em, man, if I could do it any faster I would. You know I would, but I can't." Jake said and the two men stared at each other as though silently communicating something between them.

Jake glanced to me, his eyes sullen and he shook his head once before looking back to Emmett and leaning closer to him.

"She isn't Chloe... one week Emmett."

I watched as Emmett's hands slowly unfurled from where he had suddenly clenched them and he nodded his head. Though his eyes remained downcast.

"I gotta go, Nessie is expecting me home to help with dinner. Remember Em." He started to walk away before stopping to turn around again and smile tentatively at me. "It was nice to meet you _Rosalie_ and I'm sorry it wasn't under better circumstances."

"Thanks." I mumbled and he turned to leave again.

"Send Vanessa my love, Jacob." Emmett called after him and the door to the garage swung shut just as Jacob flipped him the bird, a smile on his face.

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_**A/N: Couldn't resist the Nessie. We changed it because we thought it was funny. His significant other's name **__**was**__** going to be Kayla, but only because AWO didn't support my Jacob/Angela shipping. As always, review for a sneak peek.  
**_


	9. You Haven't Had Much Action

_**A/N: Glad so many of you got the "Embrake" joke and the Breaking Dawn reference last chapter. The next chapter is... hot. :D So while you wait for that, please go check out my friend's, Infernal Blank, story "From Paris to Berlin" She's told me some of the things she has in store for it and I can't wait to read it. Read it, drop her a review and tell her I sent you. Maybe then I can have an extra sneak peek. **_

_**Disclaimer: We don't own Twilight...I do however own a slightly unhealthy obsession with the Cullen men. AWO acts like she doesn't know me in public. **_

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_**Chapter 9**_

_**Emmett POV**_

"Emmett, don't be a douche bag." Edward snapped as he handed me the cutlery and he grabbed the plates from the island.

"I'm not... it's just..."

"It's just what? She's stuck here Em. She's got nowhere to go and you're really going to refuse her a place to stay?"

"He's right, technically, that _would _be the definition of douche baggery." Jasper chided as he carried a stack of cups to the dining room table. He swerved to miss Tatum as she ran right in front of him, her wildly unruly hair flying in all directions.

"Emmett, she's not..."

"She's not Chloe. _I know that_. Why does everyone insist on pointing that out to me. But you guys don't even know her. She could be a murderer for all you know who gets off on preying on single men and you guys would be setting me up for my downfall."

"True." Edward chuckled as he set out the plates in front of the chairs and I followed, putting the silverware in their places almost subconsciously. "But then again, she's like what? One hundred and twenty pounds. If she can kill you...well, I'd want to take some tips."

Jasper laughed as he followed behind me in our makeshift assembly line. I couldn't tell them. After everything I had put them through in the last four years, I didn't know _how _to tell them. What would I say? I can't be alone with a woman I just met because of the way my pants shrink at just the sound of her voice. The way the burning in the pit of my stomach ignites as soon as I catch her eyes. Yeah, _definitely_ not going to tell them. It was then that I noticed the number of sets of silverware I still had clutched in my hand. I counted again in my head, running over the names of the people I knew would be at the dinner table. Alice, Jasper, Elijah, Tatum, Bella, Edward, Rosalie, Me, Carlisle, Esme...two extra sets of silverware. Edward was already a plate down finishing setting down the last one. Two extra plates.

"Um...Jasper?" I asked as I turned to hold up the two extra forks in one hand questioningly.

"Alice did it." He replied quickly, his eyes widening. I didn't need to ask what she did.

"Mary Alice Brandon!" I bellowed making the windows in the dining room where I was standing, rattle in their frames.

I could hear dainty footsteps coming swiftly into the room behind me followed by more footsteps that stopped behind her.

"You. Invited. Them." I accused without turning around.

"Well..um... I...uh... yeah?"

Jasper put a hand on my shoulder, whether trying to calm me down or hold me in place away from his wife, I didn't know. Nor did I care.

"Emmett, you can't avoid them forever." Bella's voice scolded from the doorway and I turned to glare at my baby sister.

She had her arms crossed over her chest, her jaw set and her full lips that were almost a mirror of mine set into a thin line. One of her hips was jutted out to the side and behind her, Rosalie stood, her face set into a mixture of confusion and...fear?

"I'm not avoiding them." I snapped indignantly and immediately four pairs of eyebrows

moved as though synchronized. "I'm just busy..."

"Busy moping?" Bella asked

"Working." I corrected her, narrowing my eyes.

"If that's what you want to call it." Jasper snorted.

"Yeah, because Independence get's _so_ much action... what did you do all day today? Rescue crazy Edith's cat again?" Edward chimed in and I turned my glare in his direction.

"Face it Emmett, you've been avoiding them since Chl..."

"Shut up." I growled at Alice, ignoring Jasper's hand on my shoulder. My eyes traveled to where Rosalie had begun to back out of the room. Alice saw my eyes shift and she looked over her shoulder. Her gaze had softened by the time she looked back at me and she nodded her head in understanding.

"Em, they love you. And I'm sure they miss you." She said softly. "_We all do_." She added so quietly that I was almost certain that noone but me heard it.

Her gold-green eyes met mine and I could almost see myself reflected in them. But it wasn't me. It hadn't been me since everything had happened. I wasn't even sure if that person existed anymore. The carefree, laughing, over-exuberant Emmett who could make a sexual innuendo out of almost anything.

"Fine, but if mom tries to read my palms again...I'm outta here." I conceded as I tossed the rest of the silverware down and strode out of Jasper's grasp. I didn't bother looking back as I grabbed a beer from the counter top and walked out of the open back door and settled myself onto the swinging bench.

Elijah was pushing Tate on the swing set, laughing every time her hair would fly into his face when she would go back and forth. Tatum was squealing in delight as her older brother pushed her.

"They're beautiful." I held back a groan as she sat down next to me. Her voice felt good and bad at the same time. Like eating some of Aunt Mary's lemon squares after devouring half of the thanksgiving turkey. Which I had done on several occasions.

"Yup." I replied shortly, popping the 'p' at the end as I took a swig of my beer.

We sat in silence for a few minutes and I watched out of the corner of my eye as she seemed to fight with something. I tried not to care and I tried not to watch as she chewed absentmindedly on her bottom lip.

"Whatever it is you want to say...just spit it out." I finally said when it seemed I could take no more.

"I...I just. I know Alice said there isn't a hotel but...I don't need you to take me in. It's fine. I've probably slept in a lot...worse, places than..."

"Hey guys. Pizza's here and so is everyone else." Alice said suddenly from the doorway. Rosalie smiled and stood up gingerly using the deck railing for support as she tried not to put too much pressure on her ankle. I smiled despite myself as Elijah suddenly appeared by Rosalie's side and took her hand, helping her into the house as I followed behind.

"Emmett!" I heard and before I could react I was wrapped and entangled in a mass of white and brown.

"Hi Renée..." I mumbled as I let my mother hug me tightly around the middle.

"Renée, let him breathe some will you?" Bella laughed from the table where she sat squeezed between Edward and Charlie.

My mom laughed but let go of me at that. Her bangles clanked against each other from her arms and her long skirt swished as she stepped back to take a good look at me. It was funny to see her acting like this. Growing up with my mother had never been easy. She was what one would call a hippie, although she likes to refer to herself as liberal. My grandparents, her parents, had thought she was going through a phase. Turns out, she wasn't. Charlie was always trying to get her to change her ways. 'To see the light' as he put it. But whenever he would bring up the topic of marriage she would retreat to her 'happy place' and usually we wouldn't see her for a good four days. It took eighteen years for Charlie to finally realize that Marriage wasn't high on any list of Renée's. Unless you count a blacklist.

"Hello Charlie. How are you?" I asked as I stepped away from mom's gaze and maneuvered my way to the table.

It was always like this with the two of us. Cold. Informal. I knew he cared about me, but I also knew he had always craved a son of his own and having me as a substitute had just never been enough.

"Great. Just great." He muttered as he cracked open a diet soda and poured it into the glass in front of him.

"Who's this?" I turned my head to my mother's voice to see her staring intently at Rosalie who happened to be sitting on my left side, our arms resting side by side on the table top. Almost touching.

"Renée, this is Rosalie." Alice jumped in as she carried a bowl of salad to the table. "She came to take pictures of my new line. Rosalie, this is Renée...Emmett's mother."

"It's nice to meet you." Rosalie smiled.

My mom laughed and sat down beside me, pulling her long braid up to avoid sitting on it.

"She's gorgeous Emmett. Have you boned her yet?"

Bella, having been taking a drink, started choking and Edward patted her back as Alice's face turned red from the strain of holding in her own laughter. Charlie was shaking his head in disbelief as he helped himself to the salad. Jasper's face was calm and blank but his eyes were watering slightly. Carlisle, who I hadn't seen until I sat down, was laughing quietly with Edward. As Esme, his wife, covered his face delicately with her napkin. Rosalie's eyes were widened as she stared down at her empty plate and I could see the faint hint of pink on her cheeks.

"Mom." I groaned, knowing full well she hated it when I called her that.

"Well, I'm just saying that you haven't had much action since...well since Chloe..."

"Mom. Stop it now." Bella snapped from across the table. I looked up shocked. It wasn't like my sister to talk like that to...well anyone. Usually she avoided confrontation at all costs. I mouthed a silent 'thanks' in her direction and she nodded her head and began talking to Edward and Carlisle.

"I've seen some of your pictures actually." I heard Esme say as she passed the salad bowl to Rosalie.

"Really?"

"Yes, not your 'vogue' prints, I'm sorry to say. But when Carlisle and I went down to visit Garrett in the fall we went to the little gallery there on..."

"Fifty second?" Rosalie asked and Esme nodded her head.

"They were gorgeous."

"Thank you." Both women smiled at each other, though I couldn't make heads or tails out of what either of them were saying.

"How is Garrett?" Jasper asked as he cut up the food on Eli's plate.

"He's great. Still loves it there..."

"I'm sorry... who is Garrett?" Rosalie asked quietly.

"Garrett is our son. Adopted. He's around your age actually." Esme explained. "Carlisle and I found out soon after we were married that I couldn't have children, so we adopted. Sweetest little guy you'd ever meet. Although, from what I hear, him and Emmett got into quite a few scrapes growing up." Everyone around the table laughed and I excused myself from the conversation by tearing into my pizza.

The table buzzed around us as we all finished dinner. My mom was ranting and raving about the kids in her kindergarten class while Charlie discussed the diner with Bella. Soon the crowd began to disperse and I followed suit as I rinsed off my plate and stuck it in the dishwasher and then made my way back out to the back porch. Rosalie sat in the same place she had earlier. Alice sat beside her, talking fast, as Tatum slept across both of their laps.

"Oh, hey Em. What's up?" Alice asked suddenly, looking up at me with a big smile on her lips. Rosalie looked down at her lap where Tatum's head rested, her blonde hair splayed out around her like a halo.

"It's getting late." I mumbled as I leaned against the doorframe.

"Yeah, you're right. I'd better get the kids to bed anyway." Alice nodded as she stood up and pulled Tate into her arms and walked into the house.

"I'll meet you in the truck." I sighed as I left Rosalie on the porch and made my way through the house, saying goodbye.

It didn't take long for me to dodge my way out of everyone's clutches and settle myself in the drivers seat. It did take long, however, for Rosalie to make it out there. A part of me wanted to help her as I watched her hobble her way toward the car, but another part of me wanted to keep my hands far away from her body and her voice far away from my ears. I was almost tempted to lock the doors again, but judging from the way Edward and Alice stood menacingly on the front porch, I could only assume they were ready to kick my ass lest I decide to do just that. I rolled my eyes and leaned across the seat to open the door for her. At least that would save me from an Alice ass kicking tomorrow.

She sighed as she slid into the passenger seat. She fumbled as she tried to buckle herself in, and I had to tighten my grip on the steering wheel to keep my hands from reaching over and helping her.

_What is wrong with me?_ I thought as I realized that I was ignoring everything I had been taught growing up just to keep my distance from this woman. She wasn't anything special. Nothing that I hadn't grown up with, with Bella and Alice or all of their friends. She wasn't..._ her_. I just had to keep reminding myself that. I had no reason to dislike her.

"Who's Chloe?" She asked as I pulled onto the highway and headed back to my place.

"No one." I snapped.

"Sure." She said quietly and I could hear her mocking tone and almost see her roll her eyes at my answer. Maybe I_ could _dislike her.

"It's none of your damn business." I growled through my gritted teeth.

"Yeah, you're probably right." She sighed. "So did she break your heart and leave you for dead? Or do you even have one of those?"

I ignored her jibes as I turned onto the back roads that would lead up towards the mountains. I could almost feel my passenger tense as we worked our way over the bumpy road. I choked down the laugh that threatened to escape when I remembered her ranting this morning. Maybe I could just happen to let her see my deep freezer as we walked into the house. Maybe then she'd leave me alone.

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**_A/N: Quick! Go read "From Paris to Berlin" After you leave a review here of course. If you do I'll send you a sneak peek and like I said, the next chapter is kind of H-O-T.  
Besos._**


	10. Chivalry Really Is Dead

**_A/N: This chapter is super long for WeasleyWeakness. Hopefully it is more acceptable now. _**

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing but an unhealthy obsession with Jasper and Emmett. _**

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_**Chapter 10**_

_**Rosalie POV**_

"Bathroom is the first door on the right, blankets are in the hall cupboard and this is you." Emmett said as he reached over to the ratty old couch and threw off the cushions that sat on it, tossing them into the corner.

He pulled the squeaking, protesting mattress out from beneath the couch. It looked like it might have once been white, but now was covered in filth and dust. I shuddered as I walked forward just as he let the metal frame of the hide-a-bed hit the floor beneath our feet. Dust flew out of it and settled into every orifice it could find.

"You've got to be kidding me." I coughed and spluttered as my eyes watered, trying to force the particles out.

"You said yourself you've slept in worse places." Emmett said as he stepped around me and started walking down the hall. I followed behind him closely.

"That was until I saw that _thing_. How long has it been here? Since Hoover was in office?"

"Probably." He chuckled as he opened the last door on the left and stepped into his bedroom. I could clearly see his massive king size bed behind him.

"You're really going to make me sleep on it?"

He seemed to deliberate for a moment, and then nodded his head. "Yeah."

"Oh, well I guess Chivalry really is dead then, huh?"

"I served my time." He replied as he braced himself against his door frame, one hand wrapped around to the other side of the door, presumably holding tight onto the doorknob.

"Whatever happened to southern hospitality?"

"It went out the window when you thought I was sleeping with my cousin." The door slammed in my face before I could even come up with a clever retort and I growled as I fought the urge to kick his door. It would just hurt my foot again anyways.

Sighing I made my way down the hallway and back into the living room, finding the blankets where he said they would be as I went. I was too tired to argue at that point as I fixed the bed and fell into it, taking care not to breathe until the dust had settled.

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The sound of bacon sizzling brought me out of my deep slumber and I sat up quickly, pulling my halter top back into position. I hadn't thought of looking for something else to wear last night, instead just opting to sleep in my clothes I had came here in. This was going on the third day in them and I was seriously starting to feel the grime.

I cleared my throat as I stood up and stretched my back, smiling as the muscles pulled and the joints popped. If there was one thing to be said about that mattress it was that it definitely wasn't comfortable.

I walked around the wall that separated the kitchen from the small living area, stopping in my tracks at the sight before me. Emmett stood in front of the stove, wearing only a pair of green and blue plaid pajama bottoms. His muscles were huge as he gripped the spatula in one hand, flexing his muscles on his arm unthinkingly. His pecs were enormous as well, and I clenched my fists, fighting the unexplainable urge I had to run my hands down them. His chest was gleaming and it took me a few seconds to realize it was sweat condensing there from the heat radiating off of the almost ancient stove that sat in the middle of the wall in the kitchen. He was intently flipping the bacon in one pan while trying to stir what appeared to be oatmeal in another. I didn't know I had made a sound until his eyes turned to me, question written in them, taking in my appearance.

"Showers open." He said finally before turning back to the stove.

I nodded my head and made my way to the bathroom. I couldn't help but notice that it was particularly clean for a guy. No ring around the tub, or dirty clothes tossed every which way. And it actually smelled nice too. A mixture of peppermints and something else.

"Umm, Rosalie?" I almost jumped out of my skin when he knocked on the bathroom door.

"Yeah?"

"I just thought...well, I have a shirt here if you want it. It will most likely swallow you up but I..."

"Thanks." I said as I opened the door and took the freshly laundered button up white shirt from his hand and retreated back into the bathroom before I could say something stupid again like I had last night.

I hopped into the shower quickly, my stomach rumbling as the smell from the kitchen slowly wafted under the doorway and filled the small space of the shower stall. I almost screamed when the cold water hit my back, I reached down hastily to turn the hot water on and the knob fell off in my hand. I clenched my teeth tight as I sucked it up and threw myself under the icy water that was spouting from the shower head. I was shaking by the time I had rinsed my hair completely and finally rid myself of the grubby feeling of having not showered in two days.

Emmett was right when he said the shirt would swallow me up. I rolled up the sleeves with my numb fingers and then slipped my jeans back on, mumbling about having to go 'commando.' The sizzling sound had stopped by the time I left the bathroom. I found my purse as I walked into the living room and threw my hair up into a messy bun to dry using one of the hair ties I stored in my ever full bag. I could hear Emmett in the kitchen, the sound of his fork scraping across the plate and paper rustling. I took a deep breath as I walked in and released it in a short gust when I saw that he had put his uniform on. I couldn't figure out why I was disappointed about that.

"Foods on the stove. I tried to keep it warm." He mumbled as he read the paper that he held in his left hand while eating toast covered in grape jelly with his right.

"Thanks." I whispered, clearing my throat when it came out hoarse and scratchy. I scooped some of the oatmeal he had left in the pan onto my plate, leaving the bacon where it sat in it's mess of grease, and tentatively made my way back over to the table.

"There's still bacon." He said curtly as he eyed the small amount of oats I had on my plate. I felt my heart clench for some reason unbeknownst to me at his tone. After the pressure in my chest had faded, I felt the anger bubble up inside of me and I took a deep breath, trying to keep it down. _Male menopause_, I reminded myself as I scooped up some of the mush on my plate and shoved it into my mouth. I was sure I had actually read an article over it sometime or another and I racked my brain as I tried to remember what the so-called symptoms were.

I kept my eyes down on my plate as I finished in silence. My throat was still scratchy and I tried clearing it again to no avail.

"Do you have any orange juice?" I asked quietly and was relieved that I didn't have to say it again as Emmett looked up, his chocolate colored orbs meeting mine. "Something I can drink?" I couldn't help but snap as he continued to stare at me as though he couldn't understand anything I had said.

"There's coffee...or there's coffee." He used his thumb to point over his shoulder as he returned his gaze back to his newspaper. "Oh. Or there's some Bud in the fridge." I rolled my eyes and stood up, finding a glass in the dish drainer beside the sink and picking it up.

I turned the spout on quickly, hoping I wouldn't break this one like I had the shower, and saying a silent thank you when I didn't. I was momentarily distracted as Emmett stood up and stretched, his untucked shirt pulling up as he raised his arms above his head. His pants sat low on his hips and the small of his back was exposed as his shirt raised up. He looked over his shoulder at me and I quickly stuck my glass under the tap, filling the glass half full and shutting the water off quickly before bringing the glass to my lips and taking a large gulp.

I screamed out in agony as the hot water cascaded down my throat and the glass slipped from my grasp, the almost scalding hot water flying out onto the front of my shirt, soaking and burning as the sound of shattering reached my ears.

Emmett turned quickly on the spot and made it back to me within seconds, his hands working nimbly to slip the soaking shirt over my head and throwing it over his shoulder as he examined my neck and chest for burns. His hands were gentle as he brushed his fingers across the sore spots and I watched his face grimace as I flinched away from his fingers.

"Hey. Hey..." His voice was soothing as I felt his fingers plant themselves under my chin and lift my face up to look at him. "It's all right. It's all right." He cooed gently as he stroked my face. It was only then that I realized I had tears streaming down my cheeks, and the room seemed to be shaking. Or was it me that was shaking?

"I..I'm s-sorry. I shouldn't have..;" I stammered and I pulled away from his grasp, gasping as I felt the cool air touch my exposed breasts. Great, now I was half naked in front of a man who hated me. What else could possibly happen?

As if on cue the front door opened and Alice walked in. The kitchen was in plain sight from the living room door and I watched, almost like it was all happening in slow motion, as her narrowed eyes scanned the living room and she turned her head, looking to the kitchen. Her eyes widened so quick that if I had blinked at all in those four seconds, I might have missed the action.

"Oh. I didn't mean to interrupt or..."

"No, Al..." Emmett sighed as he turned around completely, away from me. I used the time to cover my self and hoped that I didn't turn permanently red. I could hear Emmett's nervous laughter and I desperately wanted to get out of the kitchen. Without thinking I took a step forward. Before I could set my foot all the way down Emmett snapped his body around and pushed me backwards. I staggered slightly from shock and his huge hands wrapped around my waist, securing me on my feet. "Stay right here."

I nodded mutely and he exited the room. I noticed Alice was no where in sight though the front door was still standing wide open. I didn't have to look for her however as she danced back in through said front door holding a bag up with a big grin plastered across her tiny face. She rummaged around in it for a second and then pulled out something gray and blue and tossed it to me. I held it up, barely registering that it was a shirt, before throwing it over my head and pulling it down over my boobs. Emmett loped back into the room, a roll of paper towels in one hand and a broom and dust pan in the other. He set both down by the table and without a word lifted me up over the glass and set me back down on the other side before turning back to the mess I had made on his kitchen floor.

"I can..." I started to bend down to help him but he shook his head.

"I got it."

"I'm the one that made the mess..."

"Really." He snapped. "I said I've got this."

I blinked in surprise and started to open my mouth to retort before I found myself being hauled backwards across the wood floor and into the living room. I had to give it to her, for someone barely reaching five foot tall and probably around one hundred pounds, the girl had some muscle. I guess it had something to do with her carrying her kids around. Or maybe it was because she'd had to knock Emmett around for years. Either way, she was definitely not one to mess with.

"Here." She said as she pushed a pile of clothes into my hands and turned me by my elbow to face the hallway. "Go change, I'll wait here."

Her tone left no room for question or arguing so I did as I was told and locked myself in the bathroom, using the time alone to compose myself. I washed my face off in the sink before turning to the bundle of clothes Alice had thrust into my arms. I was in shock as I picked the top piece of clothing up, seeing that it was a bra. Black lace with red satin underneath, it was beautiful...and it was made by Alice. I was surprised to see that it fit perfectly, along with everything else and I wondered quickly to myself when she had time to make all of this stuff. Of course she had taken my measurements the night before at dinner but surely she didn't stay up all night long making me clothes to wear. I shook my head of the thought and finished pulling clothes on, trying to make myself look slightly more decent than I had in the past couple of days. Once I was satisfied, I walked into the living room. Alice had pushed the sofa bed back into the couch and replaced the cushions. She sat on the far end, her feet curled underneath her as she thumbed through a magazine and sipped on a cup of coffee. I didn't hear Emmett anymore and I looked around the dividing wall into the kitchen, noting it empty.

"I kicked him out." Alice chirped, in reply to my unasked question. She looked up then, smiling timidly. Her eyes still sparkling brightly. "I thought we could hang out. Get to know each other better." She patted the empty seat next to her and I sat down slowly, not knowing what was coming next. The third degree? The Spanish inquisition? The birds and the bees? I had after all just been caught in a compromising position with her cousin. "So what do you want to do first?"

We spent the rest of the morning walking around Independence. I was eternally grateful that Bella and I had the same size feet. I'd have to send her something for the baby once I got back home. Alice showed me everything she thought I needed to see as she pushed Tatum in a 'Dora' stroller. Newton's grocery, Michelle Stanley's beauty shop, and the old fashioned ice cream parlor on the corner were only a few of our stops. Alice took care of errands as she gave me the unofficial tour.

"Hey, look, Bella's working. Let's go say hi." Alice pointed as we walked out of the grocery store. Tatum was happily licking on a tootsie pop in her stroller, her doll clasped tightly in her arms, but clapped her hands excitedly when Alice mentioned Bella's name.

"Um... I don't think Bella likes me." I said quietly and Alice turned to stare at me as if I had sprouted three heads and a tail.

"Why would you think that?" She asked incredulously.

"The way she acts. I mean, she's not mean or anything but..."

"Bella's shy." Alice explained and I sighed loudly. "Okay, so she's not _that_ shy. But look, she's just...really protective of Emmett. Especially since everything that happened and..."

I sprung on the chance as she led the way across the street to the diner. "What exactly happened?" I asked quickly.

Alice quickened her steps and kept walking, ignoring my question. "Is anyone ever going to tell me?" I demanded as I caught up to her, making sure I said it loud enough that she couldn't pretend to have missed it.

She sighed heavily as she lifted Tatum's stroller up to place it on the curb. Tate squealed from her seat and a smile formed on my lips.

"Okay... I really shouldn't say anything, so I'll just condense it. Chloe and Emmett were together and she left."

"And?..."

"And what? She broke his heart. He hasn't been the same since." She reached the door to the diner then and opened it, gesturing me to go in first.

"Hey Alice." Bella called from where she stood filling up a couple of coffee cups for the old men seated at her table.

"Hey Bells." My companion called back jovially, all traces of her seriousness from just a few minutes before gone.

We seated ourselves at the table, Tatum still not warmed up to me, clambered over to her mother and sat beside her, leaving me on my own across from them.

"What are you up to?" Bella asked as she waddled over to where we were seated and pulled her notepad out of her apron.

"I was just showing Rose some of the sights." Alice explained before giving her drink order to her cousin. I did the same and we fell into comfortable silence as Tatum played with the salt and pepper shakers and Alice watched with love in her eyes. I didn't even realize that I had fell into somewhat of a trance until the fire alarm dinging loudly pulled me out of it. Alice rolled her eyes and scooped Tate into her arms, sliding out of the booth and heading out the front door. I did the same as I followed behind the two old men who scooted slowly out the front. Bella was close behind me and I looked over my shoulder to see black smoke billowing out of the kitchen through the order window.

I had just made it to the door, holding it open for Bella behind me when I heard Tatum's anguished, earsplitting howls coming from the curb.

"Dolly!" She cried as she struggled against Alice's arms who was trying to hold her tightly.

"She'll be okay Tate. Mr. Eric just forgot about the french fries in the oil that's all." Bella called as she sent a glare towards a dark haired man who was looking bored as he stood on the sidewalk.

My heart broke as I watched the tears streak down her face and before I could think I did one of the stupidest things I ever could have done.

I turned around and ran back inside.

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**_A/N: Oh, no! What's going to happen? To all of my lovely readers in the path of Gustav, stay safe and you are in my thoughts. As always, review for a preview.  
Besos._**


	11. I Thought That Was Sexy

_**A/N: I'm in the midst of a lot of family drama. It's not very pleasant, and I'm sorry to say that my mind has been elsewhere over the past couple of days. I usually revise my chapters as meticulously as I can, but I haven't had the energy to really do that on this one. Sorry in advance for any mistakes I may have missed. I hope you can forgive me. **_

_**This chapter features a lot of Emmett and I hope that makes everyone happy. Especially WeasleyWeakness... I'm still not sold on the sharing..we shall talk more about the details. **_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own it.  
**_

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_**Chapter 11**_

_**Emmett POV**_

I was already half way to the diner when I got the call about a fire there. I was surprised that it had taken this long for them to have another. Usually we couldn't go three days without some kind of catastrophe there and it had been... six days since Levi Smith accidentally set fire to the trash can in the bathroom. That was one seventeen year old that would not be sneaking his dad's cigars again. Especially after both Edward and I got a hold of him. Remembering the look on his face was enough to make me laugh as I pulled up in front of the diner.

Charlie had made it there before me, and I guessed he was probably hanging out with Tim Walker in the barber shop across the street. Alice was sobbing and Bella looked completely in shock as I walked up. Surely it wasn't that bad, usually it took all of ten minutes to put out the fire and then Shirley would come in and take care of the insurance. It'd be closed down for one day, two tops, depending on the damage. I rolled my eyes at their dramatics and started walking toward them. Edward would be here soon anyway, might as well calm down the women before he went in a tizzy about it.

"Emmett!" Alice shrieked when she saw me and she clutched Tate to her as she ran full speed toward me. "She went inside! She went back in for Tatum's doll! It's so smoky in there she can't possibly..."

"Alice, calm down." I demanded as I tried to make sense of her jumbled words. I was used to Alice talking fast but add her speed in with the tears and snot streaming down her face, I couldn't make heads or tails of anything that was coming out of her mouth. "I can't understand when you talk like a hamster on speed."

Alice sobbed louder and Tatum started crying as her mom's tears fell into her face.

"Rosalie went inside Emmett. She ran back in." Bella said from beside me and I whipped my head around so fast, you'd think I'd have broken my neck.

"What?"

"She ran back inside a few seconds before you got..."

I didn't hear the rest as I took off running toward the front door. Before I could make it inside however, a hand grabbed on to my forearms, holding me back. I fought against my restrainer until I heard his voice close to my ear.

"Emmett. Stop. I'm going to go get her." Edward reassured me and I relaxed, letting him know the fight was over. He didn't hesitate as he ran inside, and disappeared into the smoke clouded building.

Alice walked to my side and stood beside me, both her and Tatum crying as we watched the front door anxiously. Bella's hand slid into my own as the seconds dragged by. Finally, after what seemed like years, Edward came back through the front door, Rosalie in his arms, Tate's doll clutched in her hands. Jasper met Edward halfway and started his routine exam and I pulled away from Bella, making my way over to them.

"What were you thinking Rosalie?" Jasper asked softly as he listened to her heartbeat through his stethoscope.

"I...I just..."

"Yea, what the hell were you thinking?" I practically roared as I stood beside Jasper in front of her, fuming. "You could have died in there..." Jasper stood up and took that as his cue to leave.

"What do you care?" She snarled and I stopped short, the answer I had ready on my tongue dissolving in an instant. Because I didn't know why I cared. I shouldn't care. I should have acted like I would have if she were Jessica Stanley running back in for the telephone. Or Eric Yorkie for his dungeons and dragons magazine or whatever the hell it was he read. But I didn't. When Bella had said she had run back in there, I was angry..no I was pissed. But most importantly, I was terrified. I hadn't even reacted like I would have if it were Alice or Bella, or someone else related to me. And that's what scared me most.

"I don't know." I whispered and I ran a hand through my hair, tugging at the curls when my fingers got stuck in them.

She looked up at me then, her long lashes framing her odd colored blue eyes, and I finally realized what everyone had been trying to tell me. She _wasn't_ Chloe. She was Rosalie. I held my hand out to her tentatively, sighing when she took it, and pulled her to her feet. Holding her up when she wobbled. She walked unsteadily over to Tatum and handed her the doll she had stupidly ran in to rescue. Alice hugged her tightly from where she sat and Bella smiled shyly in her direction. Jasper gave the all clear and I slid her into the passenger seat of my truck, not bothering to say goodbye to anyone as I drove her back to my cabin. She was asleep before I had even reached the edge of town, her head lolling against the window as she dozed.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

_**Rosalie POV **_

I groaned as I rolled to the side and stretched my legs, feeling them shake when I had stretched them as far as they would go. I took a deep breath in and smiled to myself as the most amazing smell assaulted my nose. I didn't even think there was a way to describe it, it just was. I breathed in again and sighed, the last thing I had smelled was the putrid sting of smoke and suddenly I was lying somewhere very warm, very comfortable and very aromatic. I opened my eyes just a crack but it didn't help anything as it was completely dark, except for the flashing of green numbers on the clock beside where I was lying. What I could only assume was a bed. I sat up and my head swam slightly, perhaps from sleeping so long. _At least I know I'm not dead_, I thought to myself, death wouldn't make me this dizzy.

The door opened a crack and the light that shined through made my eyes squint and I blinked, trying to make my eyes focus.

"You awake?" He asked softly and I nodded my head, before quickly realizing he probably couldn't see me.

"Yeah." I croaked out, my throat sore yet again. This time I was sure it was because of the smoke I had inhaled earlier.

"I made some dinner, If you're hungry." I nodded my head and moved my feet out from underneath the covers, swinging them down on the bed. I wobbled a bit unsteadily and grabbed on to the sleigh foot board on the bed to steady myself. The door creaked open the rest of the way and he watched me tentatively. I half smiled at him as I half-limped, half-dragged myself through the door, past him and into the kitchen.

I had to admit, the food looked really good. The steaks were in the middle of the table and the baked potatoes had been grilled wrapped in foil. It seemed like he had went all out and I really hoped he didn't do it to make up for his outburst this afternoon. It was stupid of me to run back in the building, even I knew that. But if he only knew why I really did it...

"I didn't know how you liked your steak, so I made one of each type. And um, I didn't know if you actually ate carbs or not, so I had Alice bring over some of her special organic-y potato things she orders from somewhere in Nashville. And I also had her grab some diet sodas from Newton's. They're in the fridge."

I took a deep shaky breath as I looked up to meet his eyes. It was a mistake, of that much I was sure. As soon as our gaze connected it was like I was caught in some kind of snare that wouldn't let me loose. Like that thing in that wizard book...the more you fight it, the more it holds you in.

"You do like steak don't you? Or are you a vegetarian or..." He said, breaking our connection almost as easily as it had started.

"No, um... I like steak. Thank you it all looks great." He nodded his head and I pulled the closest chair out and sat down, holding on to the table so I wouldn't fall over. His hands were in front of me as I finally made it all the way down and I smiled slightly as he pushed my chair in before sitting in his own. We ate in comfortable silence and I was surprised to find that even after sleeping most of the afternoon away, I was tired.

I took my dishes to the sink and set them in it. He was up in an instant and took my hands away from the sink quickly but gently. I looked at him perplexed and his raised his eyebrow and gave me a low chuckle. "You've had your fair share of burns for the day. The plumbing here...well it isn't so great and I'd rather not chance it."

I laughed quietly and nodded my head, feeling slightly guilty about the dishes in the sink. I bit my lip and looked up to find him staring at me, his brow slightly furrowed, a little line appearing between his eyebrows as he watched me. I crossed my arms over my chest to keep my fingers from reaching out and smoothing it out. "Do you have any yellow cake mix?" I asked quietly and suddenly and I looked up to see that the question had thrown him.

"I think so. In the cabinet. Why?"

"Because if you won't let me do the dishes, I want to make desert."

"I thought we agreed you'd tempted your fate enough in one day." I laughed and shook my head, maneuvering past him to open up some of the cabinets. Luckily the first one I opened had the boxed goods in it and I could see the box of cake mix sitting on the top shelf. Clearly out of reach, yet plainly in sight.

I kept the weight off of my still sore ankle and stood on one tiptoe to try and reach it. Sighing when my fingers barely grazed it and ended up sliding it backwards further. I could hear Emmett's quiet chortle from behind me and I narrowed my eyes as I stood on my tiptoe again and reached as far as I could. My breathing stopped as I felt Emmett's body behind mine, pushing against me as his long arm knocked mine out of the way and he grabbed the box for me and put it in my hand. I grasped on to it and turned without thinking, bringing myself chest to chest with him, our faces inches apart. My breath finally came back to me, staggered and I frowned as he pulled away and went back to sit down in his chair.

"I'm not helping you use the stove. I will not be the cause for your demise and possibly my own."

"I won't need to use the stove." I assured him as I opened another cabinet and found the mixing bowls.

He watched with interest as I opened the box and poured the entire bag of cake mix into the bowl. Then I made my way back to the fridge which was almost as equally ancient as the stove. I reached in and pulled out a can of the diet lemon-lime soda I had seen in there earlier and two of the peaches he had sitting on the shelf.

"Spoon?" I asked and he tilted his head to a drawer on my left. I quickly opened it and found a big plastic spoon. Without another word I opened the can of diet soda and poured all of it into the cake mix. It frothed and I stirred it quickly, mixing all of the powder in so that it became a smooth batter.

"What are you doing?" Emmett asked and I turned to see confusion written all over his face. I laughed lightly and turned to the microwave, about the only non-antique piece in the kitchen, and set the bowl inside. I set the time for nine minutes and turned back to the peaches.

"Do you have a knife?" I asked and he nodded, but got up this time and got it for me from a drawer on my right. He stayed on my left side as he reached around me to open it and my breathing hitched again as his forearm brushed against my back. He handed it to me and I took it carefully. Before I could ask he handed me a cutting board and I nodded my head in thanks and chopped up the peaches. Emmett's eyes drifted back and forth between me, the fruit in my hands as the knife steadily grazed over it, and the cake slowly rotating in the microwave.

I knew were the bowls were after having seen him retrieve one earlier and I grabbed two down and found the forks all on my own. The microwave beeped and I carefully opened the door and pulled out the cake, using our forks to put a helping into each bowl and then covering it with peaches. "Voila!" I said as I held his bowl out to him and smiled broadly. I may not be the best in the kitchen but I could make a mean microwave cake.

Emmett still hadn't taken the cake and his eyes were still going back and forth between me and the bowl I had in my hand. I rolled my eyes and shook it at him. "Is it...is it safe?"

I sighed and forced his bowl into his hand and then took a big bite of mine, savoring the flavor with each bite. It was my guilty pleasure, even though I hadn't had it in what seemed like forever, and I had to fight down the urge to moan in ecstasy at the taste of it. I was still amazed at how good something so simple could taste.

Emmett sighed as well and cut into his own, tentatively putting it into his mouth and chewing. His eyes grew wider and he swallowed quickly before looking up at me in awe. "This is the best thing I've ever tasted."

I laughed and sat down in my chair, finishing up my cake and then putting my bowl in the sink with the other dishes.

I walked with heavy feet into the living room and pulled the cushions off the couch, taking the time to stack them neatly into a pile in the corner instead of just tossing them like Emmett had. I never knew how out of shape I really was until I tried to pull the stupid bed out of the couch and it barely budged. I groaned and used my knees for support as I heard the sink turn on in the kitchen. Finally, after much grunting on my part, I finally pulled it out and had it set on the ground. I held my nose and closed my eyes until I was sure the dust had settled and then pulled the blankets off the back of the couch. Alice had left the bag of clothes beside the couch and I sat down on the hide-a-bed and pulled it open. I sorted through everything, realizing after I had went through everything that there were no pajamas and I have to sleep in my clothes again. I set the bag back down and laid down on the couch, using my arm as a pillow.

I woke with a start as I felt myself fly up into the air. I almost screamed until I groggily looked up to see Emmett walking with me in his arms. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." He said gently and I relaxed into his chest.

"What are you doing?" I asked quietly, my voice thick with sleep and I didn't bother trying to clear it.

"Performing a miracle." He mumbled.

"What?"

"A resurrection you could say..." He looked down at me and one side of his mouth pulled up into a smile. "I'm bringing chivalry back."

"I thought that was sexy." I said before I could stop myself. It was times like these I hated the way my brain worked when I was tired. He laughed quietly and I heard the door creaking open. My eyes had already fallen shut and I worked hard to try and pry them open.

I finally did as he set me down on his bed and then turned to his closet, reaching in and pulling out a navy blue shirt. It said McCarty across the back in bold white letters and the front read Sheriff. I smiled to myself and mumbled a quick thanks. He nodded and left me to change. I had just settled myself down into his thick covers, my nose pressing against the pillows as I memorized the way they smelled and my eye lids falling heavily shut without any promise of opening again when I heard my name being called softly from the door.

"Yes?" I asked just as quietly and I felt the bed move slightly and I didn't have to open my eyes to know he was sitting on it.

"Tomorrow is fourth of July. We always get together as a big family for a barbecue and then we watch the fireworks and hang out later."

"Okay." I mumbled, barely coherent. He said something else but my mind was having a hard time keeping up and I resigned to mumble a few 'mmm's' as I fought to try and stay awake as he talked. It was silent for a few moments and I could feel myself falling into the place between dreams and reality and I wasn't sure what was real anymore. For all I knew I was still back in my apartment in New York and any moment my alarm would go off, calling me in to work as it did every other day. And then I felt it. The softest of touches and I wanted so bad for it to be real. I wanted to open my eyes and see him pushing my hair away from my forehead and see his lips gently caress the skin there. I wanted to, but I couldn't muster the courage. So I fell into my dreams willingly and let them take me to a place where Emmett and I sat on a porch swing, gray haired and smiling as our hands sat intertwined between us and we watched our grandchildren playing in the yard. It was perfect, if only for that moment, until I knew I'd have to wake up and face reality again.

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_**A/N: Microwave cake is boss. I love it. And I had Edward rescue Rose on purpose. I wanted to show how much Emmett cared for Rose, but I didn't want her to have the "hero complex." Plus, Edward as a firefighter? That's just hot.  
I just realized how often I leave things hanging. I'm very, deeply sorry...sort of. I have tomorrow off, and as much as I need to do other things, I'd rather not. So I'll make you a deal. If I get twenty reviews on this chapter then I'll post tomorrow. And the next chapter is good. It has fireworks, if you know what I mean. If not, then I'll send out the sneak peeks and everyone can wait. I feel mean just typing that. By the way, did anyone watch the new 90210 and swoon over Kellan? Because if not that's cool, I won't have to break any legs...  
Besos. **_


	12. You Never Said No Tag Backs

_**A/N: Wow. Had I known all I had to do was ask...and bribe. I would have done that a long time ago. You guys really came through and it was amazing. Thank you all so much!  
For everyone who asked, that is the way to make that microwave cake. Microwave time may vary. **_  
_**irritablegrizzlylover, GintaBella, equestrienne326, Ginaaaa, I won't be breaking your legs..this time, but watch it. That's all I have to say.  
WeasleyWeakness- You know I could never harm your legs...but that doesn't mean MY boyfriend won't. You know who he is and you know he won't hesitate to do it. Go dream about your suspenders some more. Run along.  
mischief-maker1- I have been trying desperately to find out what that song was. I loved it and I had no idea Shenae could sing, which was an interesting turn of events. Ooo, can you sing all the nick jr. songs by heart too? We should have a sing-a-long.  
Yay! FolsomBoogie is here! And to Scandalous, you are my new favorite. That was the best review I have ever gotten. And I dedicate this chapter to you. **_

**_Disclaimer: I still don't own it. _**

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_**Chapter 12**_

_**Rosalie POV **_

I woke up to the sun shining through the curtains in Emmett's room. I could hear the birds chirping happily outside and I wondered just how long I had slept. I smoothed the hair back out of my face and my hand stopped midway. It was deja vu. _I must have been dreaming it_, I thought to myself as I pushed back the covers and threw my legs over the side of the bed. I noticed as I stood up, just how refreshed I actually felt and I smiled to myself as I stretched even more.

I finally turned around and glanced to the clock, shocked to see that it was only seven in the morning. I pulled on my pants from the day before, leaving Emmett's shirt on over it, and made my way quietly out of the room. I could heart Emmett's deep breathing as I walked into the living room. I laughed quietly as I saw his feet hanging over the edge of the bed, his arms behind his head and the blankets not long enough to cover all of him. He was shirtless again and I took a deep breath, closing my eyes and walking into the kitchen.

I quickly got to work as I opened the fridge and the cabinets and found the makings for a simple breakfast. It wouldn't be much but I still felt I owed him. I was lucky in the fact that I found an electric skillet stowed on top of the fridge, I plugged it into the wall and mixed together milk and eggs like my mom had always done when she made french toast.

"Well, aren't you just little miss Betty Crocker. Should I be scared to eat or happy my house is still standing?" I turned to glare at Emmett as he walked in, but couldn't do anything but laugh. His curls were completely mussed, and frizzed out. So much it looked like he had suddenly began sporting an Afro. The right side of his face, that had been pressed up against his arm as he lay on the hide-a-bed, was covered by a bright red splotch and his pants were crooked. He narrowed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair, making it stand up even more and finally I lost it. I couldn't even remember the last time I had laughed so hard, my side was hurting and tears were threatening to spill forth over my eyelids by the time I had finally calmed myself. By then, Emmett had joined me, his booming laugh and mine filling the kitchen and most likely the entire house.

"You don't have to eat it." I finally said as I made a big plate, sprinkling some of the powdered sugar I had found in the cabinet over it. The syrup had been kept in the fridge so I had microwaved it in a gravy bowl that had clearly never been used and poured a generous amount over my concoction. I sat down at the table and lifted my fork, noticing that Emmett never took his eyes off of me. "Would you like to try it before you subject yourself to my horrible cooking?"

He chuckled and picked up the fork I had placed by his plate and leaned across the table. I pushed his arm away and shook my head, leaning over the table myself to push my fork into his mouth. He froze in surprise for a second before his mouth closed around the fork and he took the bite. I watched as he closed his eyes and chewed. I opened my mouth to say something but he held up his finger, determined to make me wait. Finally, he opened his eyes to look at me, a slow smile spreading across his face.

"Food is something we take seriously around here." I nodded as I cut more of the french toast and put it in my mouth. "I think you'll fit in just fine."

I laughed quietly and watched as he stood up and made his own plate. It was interesting to see how he did it just a certain way. The way his powdered sugar had to be sprinkled on evenly and the way the syrup couldn't run too far over the sides. It was comical and annoying and endearing. Finally, after he had made his breakfast the way he wanted it, he sat down and ate. I excused myself to the bathroom and this time, took my time trying to figure out how the knobs worked. Once I had done that, I was able to fully enjoy the hot water that worked to relax my muscles and bring me some relief from the tension I had been feeling lately.

Emmett was relaxing, his hair brushed and his clothes changed, on the folded in couch when I walked back into the living room. He looked up as I walked back in and I found myself getting lost in his gaze yet again as our eyes met.

"We don't have to be anywhere until around two." He said simply and I nodded my head as I walked slowly over to the couch and sat beside him. He shifted and for a moment I was scared he was going to get up and move, but he didn't. Instead, he stretched his long legs out in front of him and clasped his hands behind his head. "So was there anything you wanted to do...or see?"

"I think Alice took care of that yesterday." I chuckled and he nodded turning his head to look at me.

"Well, you know where everything is, I'm going to go work on my jeep." That piqued my interest as I watched him jump up, surprisingly gracefully, and walk towards the front door.

"You have a jeep?"

"Yup." He yelled back as he walked out of the house. I thought about it for two seconds before jumping up from my place on the couch and following in his wake. He walked past the front of his cabin, walking close to the walls as he turned around the corner and continued toward the back. I followed carefully, lifting my feet to step over the tree roots that had grown close to the house so that I wouldn't trip. He disappeared around the back of the cabin and I didn't stop as I followed him around.

"It doesn't run." He told me as I walked over to where his big red jeep was parked behind the cabin in the small back yard. Taking notice of the beautiful garden that took up the other half of it and the way it seamlessly grew into the forest.

"What's wrong with it?" I asked as I joined him beside it and looked under the hood with him. "I don't know, I've been trying to figure that out for two years."

"Two years?" I laughed, but quickly turned it into a cough when I saw the look on his face.

"I've been busy." He defended and I had to look away from him so he wouldn't see me roll my eyes. "Besides every time I think I get it just right, something else goes wrong."

I nodded my head and pulled away from the Jeep watching him as he stared intently down at the engine, as though it would magically fix itself.

"It's rough not knowing what's wrong isn't it?" I asked softly and he looked up finally. I could never escape the way his gaze would trap me into it, like a net.

"Yeah. it is." He agreed softly and I got the feeling we were talking about different things.

"Right. Well... let's fix it then." I said as I pulled my hair into a bun and secured it with the elastic from my wrist. Confusion was written all over his face as I stepped forward and lightly pushed him back.

"Never send a man to do a woman's job." I chuckled.

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"So what were the pictures of in that gallery Esme talked about." Emmett asked as I finished tightening the bolt I had just replaced.

"Just some pictures I took in central park a few years back. Families having barbecues, kids chasing butterflies...stuff like that." I said quietly, half hoping he wouldn't hear me.

"So you haven't always been a hoity-toity fashion photographer then?" I rolled out from underneath the car, the shirt Alice had given me covered in oil and grease. I made a mental note to destroy the evidence, and shook my head.

"Nope." I cringed as I saw the black on my fingers and looked around for the rag we had been wiping our hands on all day.

"Could have fooled me." I narrowed my eyes and abandoned my search for the towel, as I stepped forward and ran my hands down the front of his white tank top. His jaw snapped open as he watched me in shock, not once taking a move to stop me.

"Oops." I smiled angelically and turned away from him, hiding my laughter. "Try it now." I nodded to the Jeep.

He sighed but slid into the driver's seat and turned the key, his face already smug as he assumed it would be the same as always. I laughed as the engine turned over and suddenly sprang to life, running smoothly. His smile faltered and then brightened by a thousand watts.

"How did you?..."

"My dad." I said quickly and then turned away before he could see the tears that had started to prick my eyes.

We had been working all day on his jeep together, talking about different things, but I couldn't help but notice how we both skirted around different topics. My family, his family, this mysterious Chloe, they were all taboo. And yet, I felt like I had known him years now, instead of just the three days it had been.

"Hey...you got some grease on your face by the way." He laughed as he turned off the Jeep and slid out of the seat, slamming the door shut behind him.

"Where?" I asked as I tilted my head to look in the side mirror.

"Just...here." He said and before I could react his dirty hand rubbed down the length of my face, staining it with black.

We laughed together as I tried to rub the stains from my face, only making them worse, before finally Emmett slid his shirt off over his head and used the clean parts to gently wipe it away from my eyes. I smiled as his smell enveloped me once again and closed my eyes as he worked to clean my face off. He pulled his shirt away from me and I opened my eyes to find him looking at me peculiarly.

"We'd better go get cleaned up and ready. Alice will kill me if I'm late." I nodded and brushed past him making my way back around the house and in through the front door. After checking the mirror to make sure there was no evidence that my afternoon had been spent underneath the belly of an automobile, I washed my face and changed into a clean outfit. I pulled my hair down from it's messy bun and ran my fingers through it. I hadn't even brought my straightener with me, or my blow dryer, it'd have to do. I used what little makeup I had in my purse and made myself look a little more presentable before going out into the living room to wait for Emmett.

"Wow. Ready already?" He laughed as I walked in to find him staring at two shirts on the couch in front of him. I nodded, trying to even my breathing as I stepped closer and averted my eyes away from his chest. His... perfectly sculpted, rock hard chest. "Which one?" I was grateful when his voice made me concentrate on the two choices in front of me and I bit my lip as I looked at them.

"That one." I said pointing to the white button up shirt with vertical blue stripes. He nodded and slung it over his shoulders, buttoning it up as he moved around me to find his shoes by the door. He grabbed his keys and opened the door, gesturing for me to go first.

"One more thing." I said as I dashed over to the other side of the couch and grabbed my smaller camera out of my bag and stuffed a few rolls of film into my pocket. It was my older camera, One my dad had given to me, and while it still used film rather than a memory card, it was still my favorite.

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I hadn't realized how late we actually were until we were flying down the road in the truck. I couldn't help but notice how fast Emmett was driving and I wondered if that was a learned habit or if he really was scared Alice would kill him. I wouldn't doubt either. He kept driving straight through town as we reached it, not heading towards Alice and Jasper's house as he turned on a side road and stopped on a gravel parking lot.

"It's more like a town barbecue than a family one." Emmett said as he opened his door and slid out and I did the same, throwing my camera strap around my neck. "They'll do fireworks as soon as it gets dark. Charlie is usually in charge of those and Edward helps him. They go all out, it's no holds barred when it comes to the Fourth around here. The girls always call them magical or something like that." He laughed.

I walked awkwardly behind him as we followed the babble of voices and walked over what looked like a make-shift baseball diamond and past a square little building marked 'bathroom'. I could hear the sound of playing children as we grew closer until finally we stopped by a gaggle of people. Emmett really wasn't kidding when he said it was a town thing. It seemed everyone I had met on Alice's impromptu meet and greet yesterday was here. Alice herself waved at me as she made her way through the crowd and towards us.

"I thought you guys would never show up." She complained lightly and punched Emmett on the arm who mocked pain when her little fist collided, though he winked at me over her shoulder as he went to join Jasper and Edward by the grill. I laughed and then looked down to see Alice watching me slyly. "_What was that_?"

"Nothing." I said too quickly and she gave me a knowing smile before grabbing my hand and pulling me back through the crowd to a table where Bella, Esme and Renée sat together laughing as they sipped their drinks.

"Rosalie!" Esme smiled as we reached the table. "Garrett came in to town. He's around here somewhere. I'll have to introduce you." She excused herself from the table then, to go track down her son and I took her spot, Bella passing me a soda from an ice chest that sat by her elbow.

"Thanks."I said quietly before falling into the easy conversation around me. I was totally immersed in the gossip of just what Jessica Stanley had done on Friday that I jumped when something tugged on my arm. I looked down to find Tatum standing there, a smile on her face, and her doll in her hand. "Hi Tate."

"Hi." She whispered and then she pointed to my camera. "Pickcha"

"You want me to take your picture?" I asked and she nodded her blonde head enthusiastically. "Alright then. Let's go."

I stood up and followed her as she danced ahead of me, stopping to snap a picture as she did. Elijah soon followed and I was snapping pictures left and right as he spun Tatum around in circles and kissed the top of her head. Another little boy with blonde hair and a set of bright blue eyes held Tatum's hand as they walked over to play on the swings and I snapped it quickly, reminding myself to _not_ show Jasper that one for another fourteen years or so. After the kids had grown tired of me invading their play area, I meandered over to where Edward now sat, his hand resting on Bella's tummy as she laid her head on his shoulder. Jasper and Alice were side by side, their hands intertwined between them and Charlie and Renée were standing looking up into the darkening, blue sky as he held her around the waist. I ignored the twist in my stomach as I took as many pictures of them as I could. I wanted to remember this, no matter the reason I was here. As much as I wanted to pretend I hated it, Independence was starting to grow on me.

"Hi. You must be Rosalie Hale." I turned my head to look into the most beautiful pair of blue eyes I had ever seen. His long sandy hair was tied back into a ponytail and his eyebrow was pierced through with a black earring. His smile was radiant and I couldn't help but smile back. "I'm Garrett Cullen, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too." I answered quietly as he raised my hand up to kiss the back of it.

"Lay off the sleaze Garrett." Emmett's booming voice scared me again. I was glad that I had my camera hooked around my neck, knowing I would have dropped it had it not been.

"Hey Emmett, long time no see." Garrett laughed as he let go of my hand and nodded his head behind me. "I was just saying hello to this beautiful lady the way my father taught me to."

Emmett snorted and I turned to narrow my eyes at him, hoping he'd back off, but he wouldn't look in my direction. "You're still a piece of work aren't you?"

"Speaking of works, have you seen any of Miss Hale's here. They are absolutely exquisite." Garrett said, clearly ignoring Emmett's jibes as he smiled back down at me. I smiled back but couldn't help a glance back over my shoulder to where Emmett stood, glaring.

"Uncle Em, Uncle Em." Elijah's voice called and I relaxed slightly as both men turned their attention towards the little boy running full speed toward us, his face alight with excitement.

"Hey Eli, my man, how are you?" Emmett laughed as he scooped Elijah up into his arms effortlessly.

"Good. Will you play tag with us?" He asked, getting straight down to the point. Emmett laughed and agreed, only throwing one look back at Garrett as he set Elijah down at his feet and took his hand to lead him away. "Rosalie will you play too?"

"I..um...I don't think that..."

"Peas Wosie?" I looked down to see Tatum and smiled as I pulled my camera off from around my neck and set it down n the table behind me behind me, Before taking the little hand she held up to me. There was no way I would have ever been able to refuse her.

"You're going down Rosie." Emmett chided as we reached the little clearing where all the kids were eagerly awaiting their two new victims.

"If you say so Cletus." Emmett laughed and then quickly shot his hand into the air. I was only a second too late to realize I had just been chosen to be 'it' first.

A little red haired girl who told me her name was Maggie explained to me that I had to turn around in six circles with my eyes closed and then I could chase after them. After that it was fair game and there was no base. I thanked her and watched as she danced off to stand beside Emmett who was grinning like a madman, his stance ready to take off running as soon as I started.

I had my sights set on only one as I finished with my six revolutions and opened my eyes quickly to see Emmett darting behind the tiny saplings that were planted on the edge of the clearing. I laughed as I wove around the little bodies that were screaming and squealing as I ran around them and headed toward the big oaf. It was starting to get dark, the fireflies blinking rapidly around me, and I could hear the catcalls of the parents who had finished eating and were now watching this enticing game of cat and mouse. Emmett would run full speed away from me, turning in a tight circle whenever I would close in on him, I would just barely miss him before he would set off again. I stopped running after a couple of minutes, my hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath when Maggie came running up to me, her red hair bouncing against her shoulders. She stood on tiptoe to whisper in my ear and I nodded in thanks so that they would know I had just accepted their help. I laughed as Emmett walked like a chicken, bobbing his head and flapping his arms as he made clucking noises in my direction.

"Hey Em?" I yelled and he stopped to grin at me.

"Yes my dear?" I ignored the way my heart jumped as I wiped some sweat off of my forehead and smiled right back at him. "I believe you should run."

"Oh and why is that?" He asked smugly as he blew on his fingernails and wiped them on his shirt.

"Two words . . . " I said as I pushed a lock of hair behind my ear and watched the four figures come up quickly behind him. "Tag. Team."

I laughed as Alice, Jasper, Edward and Charlie all came running up from behind him and he took off running away from him, they all stood on the far side of the field, effectively cornering him and I walked toward him slowly. His grin was gone as he stared me down and I couldn't help but laugh at his expression. He was just too . . . too . . . _cute_.

"Ready to give up?" I laughed as I reached a five-foot distance from him. He shook his head and I could see his eyes darting around as he tried to come up with an escape plan. "Really now, Em. You're trapped."

The sun had completely gone down now and although I knew everyone was still there, watching as I advanced on my target, it seemed as though we were the only two people there. He had finally given up the fight and I could see that his lips were pulled up into a smile as I gained inches on him.

"You know . . . I think I do give up." He said quietly and I chuckled before reaching my hand out and smacking him on the arm.

"Tag you're it." I laughed and the crowd broke out into applause as I turned around to make my way back to the table.

I had barely made it two steps when I felt two hands grab my waist and pull me backwards. I lost my footing and fell straight into Emmett's chest as we both toppled to the ground below.

"You never said no tag backs." He breathed as he pushed the hair back from my face and stared into my eyes.

Before I knew it, his lips were on mine, the sweet smell of him covering my face and pulling me under. I loosened my lips and worked to find a steady rhythm between our mouths as they worked together. His tongue swept across my lower lip and I opened my mouth eagerly, granting him access as I let him take control. His hand cupped my cheek and I grabbed onto him, entangling my fingers in his dark curls and pulling him closer to me. I could hear a distant booming coming from above us and I knew that they had started the fireworks but I didn't make a move to pull away and neither did Emmett. We were experiencing our own fireworks and they were just as magical.

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**_A/N: Since it worked last time, Same deal applies:_** _**If I get twenty reviews on this chapter then I'll post tomorrow. If not, then I'll send out the sneak peeks and everyone can wait. And the next chapter is...HOT. no fire or scalding water involved, scouts honor. It may or may not involve Rosalie and Jack Daniels.  
Besos.  
**_


	13. Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off

_**A/N: You guys honestly are the best people...ever. Seriously, I ask for twenty reviews and get thirty both times. You have no idea how encouraging that was, which is why this chapter is up so fast even though it's a big one. It's also probably my favorite and I hope that you'll like it as much as I do.  
**_

_**Warning: Some lemony action in Emmett's POV, if you have problems with it, you'll want to skip it. **_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**_

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_**Chapter 13**_

_**Rosalie POV**_

"You look cold." Emmett said as he opened my door for me. We were outside of 'Dub's bar and grill' but judging from the look of it, I'd guess it was more of a bar than a grill.

"Not too bad." I said as I took the hand he held out to me and let him help me down from the passenger seat of the Sheriff's truck. He held up a finger and leaned around me, rummaging around in the cab before sliding something warm and heavy onto my shoulders. I smiled in thanks as I pulled the edges of his jacket closer to me, breathing in deeply and trying to warm myself up.

Emmett's hand found the small of my back as he led me forward and I tried to ignore the shivers I felt up and down my spine from just the lightest of brushes. Tried and failed. The walk into the bar was short and I had to remind myself not to pout as Emmett moved his hand from me to hold the door open as I walked through in front of him.

"About damn time." A loud voice yelled as Emmett and I crossed the threshold. I blushed furiously as Alice came prancing over, a smile on her face as she held up a deck of cards in her hand.

"Yeah, we thought we were going to have to start without you guys." She said before grabbing my hand and pulling me through the overly crowded bar and setting me down at a table in the corner. Bella was already seated, a bottle of Sprite in front of her as she watched Edward and Jasper take turns tossing a quarter into their cup.

"Alice, you can't make her play." Emmett said from behind me and I turned my head to see him glaring down at his cousin who poked her tongue at him and slid down into an empty chair, patting the one next to her for me to sit in.

I did so obediently as she slid the cards from the box and started shuffling them. "What exactly is it we're playing?" I asked tentatively. I had never been one for card games. Or any games in fact. The first time I ever made it through a full game of monopoly was when my best friend in high school passed out on the game board and I 'borrowed' some of her money.

"Bull shit." Renée yelled as she stumbled into the chair next to me and Emmett rolled his eyes as he picked her up effortlessly and moved her down a space before sitting himself next to me. He threw his arm around the back of my chair, pulling the ends of my hair teasingly as he made himself comfortable.

"You really don't have to play. I'm sure I could find you a way out some..."

"Don't you dare think about it Emmett Christopher McCarty." Alice growled from my right side, her eyes menacing. "You know the rules. You're here, you're mildly sober, you play."

"What are we playing?" I asked again as Alice worked to meticulously shuffle the cards she held in her tiny hands.

"I told you." Renée laughed as she leaned over Emmett and hiccuped loudly. "Bull shit."

I looked to Emmett and he nodded his head and once again pushed his mother back into her own seat as she burst into raucous laughter. I swallowed and turned my eyes to the table in front of me, trying to rack my brain for any memory I might have of this game...

"You don't know how to play do you?" He asked quietly and I shook my head, listening in sheer terror as the chairs around the table started to fill. Their legs scraping across the floor.

"Oh, Yay. Fresh meat." Alice laughed having somehow heard Emmett's question and seen my nonverbal response, even while shuffling intently.

"Don't." Emmett warned and I looked up to see him giving a death glare to not only Alice but also Jasper and Edward who were smirking like crazy as they shared some kind of silent conversation.

"It can't be that hard can it?" I breathed and Alice shook her head as she started dealing out the cards making sure I was the first person.

"Don't worry. I'll teach you." She assured me and I sighed as I hoped that I could trust her. "Everyone, this is Rosalie Hale. She's a friend of mine...and Emmett's" She winked as she gestured from me to the people that were now seated at the table. "Rose, you know us of course"

She gestured to the half of the table I was seated on and I nodded as I took in the faces: Emmett, Renée, Charlie, Esme, Carlisle, Garrett. And on my other side: Alice, Jasper, Edward, Bella and Jacob.

"Right, well..." She took a deep breath as she pointed everyone out to me. Kim and her husband Jared, Emily and Sam, and Paul and Rachel filled up the left half. Jacob sat next to his girlfriend Vanessa who was somehow related to Edward. Beside her sat Ben and beside him sat his wife Angela.

"She has a baby?" I whispered as Angela smiled politely at me and shoved a pacifier into the little girls mouth just as she started to wail.

"She's got four, though I don't know where the other three are." Alice said distractedly as she yelled back and forth with the bartender about something.

"But she has a baby...in a bar."

"Yeah so?" Alice shrugged as she stood up and pushed her chair back in. "We would have brought Tate but she fell asleep in the car and Jasper didn't have the heart to wake her."

She disappeared towards the blonde haired guy behind the bar then and I turned to find Emmett smiling lightly at me as his hand absentmindedly played with my hair.

"It's not like the big city here." He said lightheartedly as he titled his head toward the other end of the table. "We all look out for each other here. And Kenzie has an ear infection and won't sleep. Ben and Ang didn't want to leave her with the sitter like that." I turned to see the baby falling asleep quickly against her mother's shoulder and I nodded my head in understanding as I fiddled with my fingers underneath the table. "You're adorable when you're embarrassed you know." I looked up and Emmett placed a feather light kiss on my lips just as Alice returned, two bottles of Jack Daniels in her hands and the bartender trailing behind her, his hands filled with shot glasses. Oh no.

It didn't take long for Alice and Emmett to fill me in on the rules of B.S. It seemed simple enough...get rid of your cards by lying and don't get caught. _I have it in the bag_, I thought as I stared down at the cards in my hand and glanced quickly at the shot glass in front of me. Apparently, it was easier in theory. Emmett had tried to help me, running his hand along my back whenever someone would lay their cards down, letting me know slyly if they were lying or not. That is, until Alice caught on and made him switch places with Garrett. Something he hadn't been happy about. I had always prided myself on my ability to lie with ease. Something I shouldn't have _been_ proud of, but was nonetheless. However all of that was shot down as I stared at the cards in my hand. I was supposed to be laying down Kings but my hand was full of nothing but low cards. I looked at Emmett before carefully laying down a pair of two's. No sooner had my hand touched the discard pile Alice, Renée and Edward's voice filled the air, calling me on it.

I had been warned of course of the consequences. Get caught in a bluff and you have to take a shot. Call someone's bluff wrong and take two shots. What I hadn't been warned of was the intensity of which they played their game. Apparently it had been a town tradition since before Emmett was a gleam in his mother's eye, and apparently, they all practiced. This was going to be a long night.

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**_Emmett POV_**

"Two aces." She slurred and I watched as she threw down two random cards from her hand and brought her full shot glass up to the ready.

Sure enough Garrett called her on it and she tipped back her head and swallowed quickly. Her face scrunched up and she shook her head as she swallowed her punishment and grabbed the large stack of cards from the table. It had been almost two hours and though I was trying my hardest to bring the game down on myself, it just didn't seem to be working. Especially now that Rose had unwound enough and was calling B.S. on people who actually had the right cards.

"Alice..." I sighed as I set down my cards and ran a hand down my face. My cousin looked up at me, swaying slightly on her chair and smiling cheekily. After people had started to realize just how bad Rosalie really was they had started sneaking their own drinks and soon we had lost almost half of our players. Bella was almost asleep in her chair as her head leaned back against the wall and Edward was dancing the electric slide with Renée, supporting most of her weight as she stumbled and tripped when her feet didn't want to go where she put them.

"What Emmykins?" She giggled and Rose joined in with her before starting to repeat my childhood nickname over and over again, laughing louder each time she said it.

"I'm taking her home." I said in finality as I stood up and pulled Rose away from Garrett's lagging arm and helped her to her feet.

"Fine then, you party popper." Alice hiccuped and her brow furrowed as she realized the glass she had just been trying to drink out of, was empty. "This is why you were unpoopular in school you know. Always so..."

I ignored the rest as I tried to coax an unwilling Rosalie out of the bar. She pouted and stuck her bottom lip out as I tried to lead her gently to the door. She stopped when another song came on.

"Oh Emmykins! I love this song! Let's dance." She turned around in a few circles as she swung her hair around her and held on tightly to my arm as tried to hold her footing. "Tequila makes her clothes fall off." She shouted and I had to laugh as I realized she was singing and dancing to a completely different song than the one that was playing overhead.

"Come on Rosie." I finally said and I picked her up bridal style and marched her out to my truck. Her musical laugh filled my ears the whole way and I wished I hadn't let Alice demand she play that damn game. I had known it would only end badly, yet still... no one refuses Alice. I had learned that the hard way and if I could never have children, at least I would remember that.

I slid Rose into the passenger seat, buckling her in and going around to get into my own side. I thought she was passed out. Her head was pressed up against the glass and her eyelids were closed, her fair lashes brushing against her cheeks as they gently fluttered. I turned my attention to the road, knowing how some people got around here on the fourth and not wanting to take any chances on who might or might not have found a designated driver for the night.

"Emmett..." Rosalie sighed and I glanced over to find her staring at me intently, her blue eyes twinkling mischievously as her lips lazily pulled up into a smile.

"Yes Rosalie?" I asked quietly as I took a left turn.

I had to hold in a gasp when I suddenly felt her small, warm hand on my knee. I looked up to find her lazy smile had turned into a full blown wicked grin. The kind I had only seen once before and the kind I had sworn to myself I would never see again. Only this time, It didn't make me want to boil live puppies or run down a pedestrian in traffic. It made me...hard. And it didn't take her long to figure that out.

I could feel the blood draining from my face as her fingers inched their way up my thighs, looking for the one destination she really couldn't have right now. Especially not while I was driving seventy down a back road trying to make it home in one piece. Or at least alive.

"Rose..." I tried to growl but cursed myself when it came out in a strangled moan.

I didn't even know if it were possible but it seemed her wicked grin, got even bigger as her hand got closer and closer to my package. My knuckles were protesting against the strain as I clenched my hands tighter against the steering wheel, not trusting any part of my body to stop focusing on the task at hand, even if just for a moment. I heard the clicking of her seat belt and felt her slide closer to me, her legs ignoring the barrier of the console between us as she inched closer to me. Her fingers finally found the button to my pants and I coughed and spluttered as I felt her hand slide between my skin and the fabric of the jeans.

I opened my mouth to protest again when I felt her hot breath on my cheek, so much so, that the goosebumps on the skin that it touched had goosebumps.

"So fucking sexy." She breathed and my own breath staggered and finally stopped when I felt her tongue slide down the outside of my ear and I shivered involuntarily. I fought with the inner part of my brain that telling me just how stupid I was. Not only for failing Freshman algebra but for ignoring the advances of the drop dead gorgeous woman who was clearly trying to seduce me.

"Stop." I tried to scold her, but instead it came out in a forced whisper that even I had trouble hearing. She chuckled as she ran her nose down the length of my cheekbone and planted a kiss on my jaw line.

I could have sang as I saw the turnoff for my cabin appear and I pushed the throttle closer to the floor as I felt her tongue dart out and lick the skin on my neck before she blew on it gently, nearly sending me over the edge with just that. I didn't look at the speedometer as I flew down the bumpy path that would lead to my cabin. I didn't want to look really. I had suddenly become lead foot, and the only person to blame was the woman that was now sucking gently on any part of my neck she could reach. I held her to my neck as slammed on the brakes and put my truck into park.

Rosalie didn't waste any time as she slid over the console completely and settled herself in my lap, the seam of her jeans pressing into my hardness. She chuckled as she continued to suckle my neck but I could feel her hands working gently but deftly as the buttons on my shirt came undone. The worst part was how slow she was going, agonizingly, painfully slow and I wanted to just rip the shirt from my body and toss it aside to get rid of the damn thing. Finally she had undone the buttons and her soft, silky hands slid the fabric down my arms as she ran her palms down my pecs and abs, stopping just the line of my pants. Her lips were on mine again and I grabbed her wrists as I pulled her away from my most sensitive areas and opened my door. The light switched on and the dinging sound let me know that I had succeeded as I slid down from the seat, carefully holding on to Rose's bottom as I kicked the door shut behind me. She moaned in my mouth and I hastened my step and practically ran into my house and straight into my bedroom. She pulled away from me long enough to pull her arms out of the sleeves of my too big jacket and slip her shirt off over her head.

"God Emmett, you feel so...good." She breathed and her lips recaptured my own. I walked until I had found the bed and gently laid her down on it. Her hands clasped tightly onto my shoulders and she pulled me down with her, not letting go. Her legs wrapped around my waist and I pushed myself closer to her, our chests melding together.

She let go of my shoulders to tangle her hands in my hair, pulling me even closer to her as she held my lips hostage. Suddenly, and so smoothly I didn't know how she did it, she flipped so that she was on top of me, her hands still tangled in the mess of curls on my head and her lips still working fervently with mine, our tongues dancing together as we both fought for control. And in that split second it happened. She finally relinquished her hold in my hair as she slid her hands down the length of my body and finally came to rest on my jeans as her fingers worked numbly to undo them. She was fumbling and she breathed down into my face.

I froze as the smell of Jack Daniel's assaulted me and it was like ten thousand memories came flooding back. Alice and Bella had always tried to convince me that the past never repeated itself but as I stared into Rosalie's face, her blue eyes scorching with...lust? I couldn't help but feel I had stepped back in time. I stilled her hands and moved her gently so that she sat beside me instead of on top of me and I took a deep breath.

"What's wrong?" She asked, her normally melodic voice warped from the amount of whiskey she had consumed. I sighed and ran a hand down my face, pressing hard as if trying to rid my mind of the onslaught of thoughts that had just come rushing back to me. As if by forgetting them could go back to where I had been and do what I desperately wanted to. It wasn't until I stood up from the bed and opened my closet door, turning on the light on the table beside the bed as I went, and grabbed another shirt out and turning to hand it back to her, that I realized just what I was doing.

Her violet blue eyes were wide and her hands were shaking as she held them in front of her. She bit down tightly on her bottom lip and I could see tiny red dots as her teeth punctured through the skin there. I cussed quietly and crossed the room quickly, pulling her hands into mine and kneeling down to look into her eyes.

"Wh-What..did I do wrong?" She stammered and I shook my head sharply.

"Rosalie..."

"Was it..."

"Stop." I insisted and I took both of her hands into one of mine and used my other to close her lips. "You didn't do anything. God Rosalie, I've been dreaming about doing all of that and more since the moment I saw you, but I can't do it like this... No, I _won't _do it like this."

She sniffled and I took my hand away from her mouth to push the hair away from her eyes. "You didn't _do _anything wrong. This is all me."

She nodded and I opened up the shirt I had in my hands and slid it over her head. She pushed her arms through the holes and unbuttoned her pants, sliding them down her long legs. It was my turn to bite my lip this time as I fought the urge to say 'fuck it' and take her right then and there. But my mind was right, this wasn't the way it should happen. Not again.

I waited until she had taken her pants off and then I helped her underneath the covers. I made to pull away but her fingers grabbed onto my shoulders again. "Rose.." I warned but she shook her head against my chest.

"Stay with me?" Her voice was so thick with sleep and alcohol that I had to pull back and look at her. But I couldn't doubt her once I saw the blazing determination in her eyes. I nodded and pulled a pair of cotton pajama bottoms out of my drawer and slipped them on as she closed her eyes and started drifting off. I slowly climbed into the other side of the bed and she sighed as she rolled into my chest and wrapped her arms around my waist. I took a deep breath before wrapping my arms around her tightly and burying my face in her hair. If I was going to get my ass kicked in the morning, when she woke up and didn't remember any of this, I might as well do it thoroughly.

"Good night Rosalie." I whispered as I bent my head down to kiss her lips softly before reaching over and clicking off the bedside lamp.

"Goodnight Emmykins." She sighed as her body relaxed against mine.

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_**A/N: B.S. is...so fun. and I rock at it. So I'm going to go visit some relatives this weekend in a different state. fun stuff. I'll have my computer with me, but if I don't get enough reviews I won't post until I get back later next week. So essentially, it's the same deal. You review and I'll post quicker. I still feel horrible typing that. And next chapter...well it's a good one and a LOT of questions might be answered. hint, hint.  
Besos. **_


	14. It Was Going To Storm

_**A/N: Because I love you all so much (and you all reviewed like crazy), and because my vacation is boring, I decided to post. For the record, this isn't the best or most exciting chapter, but it is important.  
**_

**_Disclaimer: Don't own anything. _**

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_**Chapter 14**_

_**Rosalie POV**_

"Rosie..." I heard a faint whisper by my head and I swatted around, trying to get whoever it was away and leave me be. "Ow. God Rose. Get up."

My hand had connected with something hard and my eyes flew open quickly as I looked into Emmett's deep brown eyes. Then they closed again.

"Ugh." I groaned as I scrunched my eyes tightly shut and pulled the pillow over my head, trying to block out the light from overhead, and the noise and the headache.

"Rose come on. I want to show you something."

"No." I snapped childishly as I pulled the blankets up over the pillow, trying to get back to sleep.

"Please?" He asked softly and I rolled over a fraction of an inch to peer out of the crack between the pillow and the mattress.

"Leave me alone to die." I begged in monotone, not able to muster up the courage to say it enthusiastically like I wanted to.

I felt the bed move and the weight that had been beside me left, I closed my eyes and tried to drift off back to the peaceful oblivion where I didn't want to gouge my eyes out with a spoon and rinse them in ice water.

Suddenly, the thick comforter that had been helping my plight of darkness was pulled from my grasp and I gasped as the pillow soon joined it. Emmett chuckled as I turned to scowl at him, but that only hurt my head more.

"Sorry, but we don't have much time and I _want_ you to see this." I let my eyes roam him as he stood in front of the closet in nothing more than a pair of black and red boxer shorts, and I completely forgot about my hangover as I watched him rummage for something. "So hurry up."

I sighed and threw my arm over my eyes and I heard him chuckle as the closet doors shut and his heavy footsteps left the room.

"Come on Rosie." He boomed from wherever the hell he was and I made myself sit up and dragged my feet off of the bed.

It was only then that I realized I was wearing one of Emmett's shirts...and only one of his shirts. I looked over my shoulder and saw that both sides of the bed were mussed up, the sheets that were still on it, crumpled into disarray on both the left and the right. I sat in blank shock as I tried to recall the events of last night. I had never really been drunk before. Sure a drink or two when I went out with people from the office, or when I went to my friend Jay's coming out party, but all in all that was it. I laid my head in my hands as I slowly tried to catch my brain up to my body.

Emmett and me playing tag with the kids at the barbecue, kissing underneath the fireworks, wearing Emmett's jacket as we entered Dub's, letting Alice teach me how to play bullshit and... and losing terribly. Oh God.

"You coming or not?" I jerked my head to see Emmett standing in the doorway, his painter's jeans slung low on his hips, his shirt in his hands as he stretched out the head hole to put it on, his feet bare against the wood floor. "What's wrong?" He asked quickly as he walked closer to me. What was I supposed to say to that?

_"I don't remember anything that happened last night because I was so drunk. So I don't know if we had sex or not. And if we did it's a shame because I won't even remember it." _

Yeah because that would be the best conversation to have with him. I shook my head and let my eyes slowly meet his, knowing it would be harder to lie with him looking at me the way he did, but knowing he would never buy it if I didn't.

"Hangover." I finally croaked, shrugging it off as though it were nothing.

"Oh. Sorry, forgot about that." He smiled as he finally pulled his t-shirt on. "I'll get you some Tylenol while you get ready."

I nodded and watched as he left to get me my relief and I stood up quickly, grimacing as my stomach churned with the movement, and quickly groped around for the bag Alice had left. I found a pair of Bermuda shorts and pulled them on underneath the large shirt of Emmett's. I found one of my shoes by the doorway and I was on my knees looking under the bed when I heard Emmett coughing loudly from behind me.

"What are you doing?" He choked and I held up one of my shoes behind me as I continued to search under the bed. "Here it is."

I turned to see him smirking as he held the other converse out to me. Glaring, I slowly pushed myself up from my knees and grabbed the shoe, slipping it on as I walked out to the front room. Emmett chuckled quietly as he walked behind me, grabbing the jacket I had worn last night and slipping it over my shoulders. My heart jumped and my brain tried to work to remember what had happened last night as I inhaled the musky, woodsy, sweet smell of Emmett. He pulled a sweatshirt from the back of the couch and quickly slipped it on over his head, running a hand through his curls once he had it in place.

"Let's go." He said as he stalked past me and opened the front door, holding it open for me with a serious expression.

"Just where exactly are we going?" I asked quietly, trying to hide the nervousness in my voice. Maybe something _had _happened last night and he had decided he needed more limbs in his freezer.

"Don't look at me like that." He sighed as he reached forward and pulled me gently by the elbow. "I promise you'll love it."

He crossed his heart with his fingers and then gestured out the door again. I sighed and walked slowly out of it.

"This way." He smiled and my heart beat erratically as he pulled my hand into his own and interlaced our fingers, leading me around the house and toward the thick trees that lined the edge of his backyard.

I didn't question him again as he pulled me full speed ahead, walking straight into the thick forest and up the side of the mountain. He only stopped to help me over the fallen trees or hold back branches as we walked past them. I was getting a little frustrated as he kept leading me higher and higher up, but before I could say anything, he stopped.

He turned slightly and pulled me closer to him as we walked out onto a small ledge nestled into the side of the hill.

"Any minute now." He breathed as he looked down at his watch. I shivered, whether from the cold or the way his arm wrapped tighter around me when he peeked at the time, I don't know. I wasn't complaining though as he side stepped around me and wrapped his long arms around my shoulders. "Better?" He whispered close to my ear and I nodded, scared that if I tried to use my voice the only thing that would accomplish would be making me look stupid.

I leaned back into his chest as we stood on the cliff, his arms securely around my middle, holding me to him. I was just about to break the peaceful silence, as much as I hated to, to ask him why exactly we were there, when it happened. The sky lit up a brilliant orange and pink and red as the sun slid into the sky. It looked like fire and my eyes were watering as I stared at it, but it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

"It's gorgeous." I sighed and I heard him whisper something into my hair before I felt his lips touch my head gently. Then it was too much. I had to know, I couldn't just pretend that it didn't happen because obviously it did. "Um, Emmett?"

"Yes?"

"What..er.. What exactly... happened last night?" I asked as I squinted my eyes closed and prayed that I hadn't done anything, well, stupid.

"You threw yourself at me, tried to feel me up and then ended up making me sleep with you." He laughed from behind me and I pulled away from him quickly, wide eyed.

I must have overstepped because suddenly my arms were flailing as I tried to right myself before I could jump off the side of the cliff. I might have been upset but I wasn't that upset. Yet.

Emmett's large hands reached out and pulled me into him, his eyes were wide too but I could feel him laughing against my chest. So I did what any self respecting woman would do, I poked my tongue at him and stomped on his toe. Which only made him laugh harder.

"I'm kidding." I breathed a sigh of relief. "Kind of. You did throw yourself at me, and you _definitely _tried to feel me up. Not that I wasn't willing, but..."

"Oh God." I cried as I hid my face in my hands quickly. "What did I do? I had sex with a hot stranger and I can't even remember it because I was so sloshed!"

I pulled myself out of his arms and started walking back toward the trees. His hand grabbed for me but I shook him off as I pushed my way back into the forest and tried to remember the exact way we had gotten here.

"Rose! Rosie..." Emmett called and I started walking faster, picking up the pace and trying not to trip over any hidden tree roots. "Rosalie!"

I ignored him as I continued my way down, ducking under the branches I could and letting those that I couldn't, scratch at me. I made it all the way down quickly, I could hear Emmett scrambling behind me but I kept walking, disregarding his heavy footfalls and frantic shouts. I was angry. At Alice for making me play that game, at Emmett for letting me get shit-faced and then 'throw myself at him' and I was mad at myself. I couldn't understand why I was mad at myself, I just was and that only helped to make me even more angry as I stormed into Emmett's living room and headed down the hall into his bedroom.

"Rosalie!" I heard as I reached his bedroom door and I took a deep breath as I stopped with my hand on the doorknob.

"What?" I hissed back.

"Nothing happened last night. I didn't take advantage of you. I wouldn't do that and I hope that you can trust me enough to believe that because I... I wouldn't do that." He said urgently as he walked closer to me. I blinked back my surprise at his words.

He thought that I thought that he had taken advantage of me? Of course those thoughts hadn't even run through my head when I made my hasty getaway, and even thinking them back sounded ludicrous.

"I never... I didn't think that." I finally said as I turned slowly to look at him.

"You didn't?"

"No, it's just... nothing happened?"

"No." He laughed quietly but I saw him look down to his feet, and I couldn't help but notice the little tinge of red that flooded to his ears and neck.

I tried to think over his words, back to what he had said I had actually done and what he was joking about. And then something clicked.

"You said you were willing."

"What?" His head snapped up and I giggled as I realized how much he reminding me of a deer stuck in a headlights.

"You, said you were willing." I said quietly and once again, his cheeks flamed with color. I had never seen him blush before, and the fact that I could do that to him sent trills up my spine for no apparent reason.

"Well..I...uh... what I meant was..."

"Good morning my lovely cousin and new best friend!" The door slammed open against the frame as Alice walked in, bright eyed and bushy tailed, Eli following close behind her, rubbing his eyes wearily as she carried in a still sleeping Tatum.

"Go away Alice." Emmett growled before Elijah came stomping in his direction and threw himself into Emmett's arms.

"Aww, is Emmykins mad because I interrupted something special?" Alice chirped in a mock baby voice as she set Tate down on the couch and pulled the blanket off from the back, covering her in it .

"What do you want?" He snapped.

"A babysitter. Angela's kids are sick and she needs someone to cover the swim class so I said I'd do it."

"They're all sick?"

"Yeah, Kale and Kade got it at the same time and then they gave it to Kolby and Kenzington still has her ear infection. And to top that all off Angela thinks she's coming down with something." Alice said simply as she headed back out the door.

"Alice... I would love to watch Tate, you know that but I've got to work." Emmett sighed and I saw him cast a sidelong glance in my direction.

"Well," Alice bit her lip and rolled her eyes up to look at the ceiling. "Rose can do it. But I really gotta go."

She didn't wait to hear my protests as she tugged on Eli's hand and made a mad dash for her car.

"Shit." I mumbled under my breath as I walked closer to peer over the back of the couch to look at Tatum's face.

"You think you'll be okay with her?" Emmett asked quietly from behind me and I stared down into the little girl's peaceful face and nodded my head.

After all, how hard could one child be right?

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

As it turns out, it can be _very _hard. In fact, it could be hell on earth. I quickly realized why so many mothers opted to have cable when Tate woke up no sooner than Emmett had pulled out of the driveway, leaving me with nothing but words of encouragement and a quick 'good luck' kiss, and instantly started screaming for her mommy. It didn't help that she hadn't brought her dolly and I couldn't find anything for her to snuggle with in Emmett's house. Finally, I did the only thing I could think of to calm her down. I offered her cookies.

It didn't take long for me to realize that _might_ have been a bad idea. Never before in my whole life had I ever seen anyone move that fast or giggle that loudly. I was chasing after her and grabbing the things out of her hands almost as soon as she picked them up, but by the time I heard a car in the driveway, I was exhausted.

"Hey...what happened here?" Alice asked as she walked in the front door.

"Tatum." I replied as I bent down to scoop up the contents of the cheerio box into the dust pan.

Alice laughed as she danced to pick her daughter up from where I had finally managed to appease her with some crayons from a drawer in the kitchen and some old computer paper.

"You do know there's kids movies in the bottom cabinet of the entertainment center right?" Alice asked and I felt my jaw drop open. "Guess not. Well thank you so much, I owe you."

"I'll remember that." I muttered under my breath as she danced out of the front door, Tatum in her arms blowing kisses back in my direction.

I spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning up the house and hoping Emmett wouldn't be too mad about the destruction she had caused. The wind was blowing fiercely by the time lunch arrived and the sky was almost black from the ominous clouds that rested there. It was going to storm. I turned on the old radio in the living room and settled down on the couch, pulling the blanket over me as I listened to the weather report and slowly drifted off to sleep. The sound of the door opening and closed me jarred me awake and I sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes and stretching my arms above my head. I could hear the steady pounding of rain as it beat the roof of the house and splattered the windows.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." Emmett said softly as he shrugged out of his wet jacket and hung it on the peg by the door.

"S'okay." I said groggily as I pushed the blanket off of me. "I wanted to make dinner anyway."

"I'll help." He said as he kicked off his shoes and took his holster off hanging it by his jacket. "Just let me change really quick."

I nodded and went into the kitchen, examining the contents of the fridge and cupboard as I tried to remember some of the recipes my mom had tried to teach me when I was younger. When she was still alive.

"So what are we making?" Emmett asked as he walked into the kitchen, clad in black sweat pants and a white t-shirt.

"Um...some chicken?" I pulled the package of chicken breasts out of the fridge and grabbed the ketchup and mustard out of the door before it closed. "I think I remember how to make it."

He raised his eyebrows a smile pulling at the corners of his lips as I rummaged in the cabinets until I found some brown sugar.

"You know, you're house is awfully well stocked for a bachelor." I teased as I tried to figure out how to start preheating the oven.

"Yeah, well when you have a sister like Bella and a cousin like Alice it's inevitable. What temperature?" He pushed my hand away from the stove and turned the knobs expertly until he was sure it was heating up and then he turned to help me.

It didn't take us long to mix together the mustard and ketchup and brown sugar and then pour it over the chicken before shoving it in the oven. I set the timer for an hour and set the rice on the counter, not wanting to make it until it was closer to eating. Emmett had disappeared from the kitchen after he was sure I wasn't going to make the stove explode, so I followed after him, finding him lighting a fire in the fireplace that stood in the living room. I watched with rapt interest as he piled the logs in the middle of the hearth. When the fire had been lit, he rocked back on his heels and turned to find me watching him.

"It gets kind of drafty in here when it storms." He explained as he moved around me to turn the couch the other way.

He sat down on the sofa once he had positioned it where he wanted it and patted the spot next to him. I smiled and slid beside him, letting him put his arm around me as we watched the fire crackle. An hour later we ate our food in front of the fire, laughing and talking about random things. Like how when I was seven I decided I wanted to learn how to fly and jumped off our garage roof, breaking my arm in three places and almost giving my dad a heart attack. He told me about the time Alice's family went on vacation and left Emmett and Bella to house sit. Alice's cat, Trixie, had gotten loose and played in the mud so they had decided to give her a bath...in the toilet. We were both laughing hard as the rain continued to hammer the cabin. The weatherman on the radio had said everyone should stay inside due to flood warnings and torrential downpour, Emmett didn't seem worried as he got up and made two steaming mugs of hot chocolate before rejoining me on the couch.

"So can I see some of your pictures?" He asked, nodding his head in the direction of my black bag.

"Um, yeah." I said as I stood up slowly and went to pull my thick black portfolio out of my bag. "Most of these are fashion shots, but I have some of my earlier ones in here too. To show my progress."

He nodded and let me adjust myself back into his side, resting the book on his knee and mine as I opened it up to the first page, which held a picture of a lone little girl jumping into a pile of leaves at the base of a dead tree. I let him examine each picture before I turned the page, sometimes he would have a look of concentration on his face as he would look at them, pictures of models in high fashion poses or kids in commercial shoots, all smiles and dimples. And other times, when I would turn the page to one of _my _pictures, the ones that I had taken not because I had to, but because I wanted to, I would see his lips twitch and his dimples would show. That was when I would feel the proudest and I couldn't wait until the next one, the one that would make him smile and effectively make my heart pound in my chest.

I turned the page again and crinkled my nose in disgust. "I hated this shoot. The models were bitches and the director was terrible. He wanted it to be _Cirque de Soleil_-esque and nothing was good enough."

"Douche bag." Emmett laughed as he reached over me to turn the page.

It was one of my worst pictures to date. The model was bending through a hoop, her yellow jeans and tight blue shirt stood out horribly against the pale of her skin and the black of the background. One of her legs was up in the air and the other was bent backwards as she stared into the camera, her dark blonde hair fixed into intricate braids on her head. I felt Emmett stiffen beside me and I turned to look at his face. Instead of the smile or the look of concentration, I found his jaw clenched tight and his eyes hard.

"Em?" I asked quietly as I reached my hand around to touch his arm. He jerked away from my touch and stood up, the book falling to the floor at our feet.

He didn't say a word as he slipped a pair of tennis shoes on his feet and grabbed his keys off of the kitchen counter.

"Emmett? What are you doing?" I called as I jumped up and followed him. He shook his head as he threw open the door and walked outside, slamming it closed behind him. I opened it and followed him outside, watching as he slid into the drivers seat of his jeep and started it up, pulling out of the driveway and flying down the road. I swallowed back against the tears that were threatening to flow down my cheeks as I crossed my arms around my waist and waited in the pouring rain for him to come back.

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**_A/N: My vacation is so boring, I wrote ahead. I got 32 reviews last chapter! If you guys can beat that in a day, I'll post the next one despite that today and tomorrow is a family reunion. (because we all know you guys are more important.) If not, I might just have to send out sneak peeks because we're coming home soon and thus I won't be able to update._**

**_Besos. _**


	15. I Looked Like A Drowned Rat

_**A/N: Wow. Have I told you lately how much I love you all? Really, seeing you all responding that well to this made my day and I'm glad you all like it so much. Because of how wonderful you all were, I added a lemon on to this chapter. It doesn't contain any major plots so if you don't want to read it, you can stop at the X's. And just about everyone guessed correctly who the girl in the picture was. Way to go!  
**_

_**Disclaimer: If I owned any of this, I'd be the one with a Ferrari. **_

_**Chapter 15**_

_**Rosalie POV**_

Three hours. Three excruciating, terrifying, lightening and thunder filled hours. That's how long I'd been pacing back and forth in front of the front door. I was chewing my fingernails, they were so short I was scared any more and they would bleed, and I had taken to tapping my foot each time I stopped to stare at the door. I was waiting for it to open and Emmett to come back. With each crash of thunder my heart would pound behind my ears and I would feel sick to my stomach. I knew he was out there, as the storm raged on, and my head was spinning as I thought of all the things that might happen to him. I was close to a panic attack as the seconds ticked by on the clock. It was like I was reliving the night of my parents accident all over again, except this time, it really was my fault.

I took a few deep breaths and then grabbed Emmett's sweatshirt from the back of the couch, pulling it on over my head swiftly while slipping on my borrowed sneakers. The rain was coming down hard and fast and I almost screamed as I ran out into the midst of it realizing only too late just how cold it was. I bit the inside of my cheek and ran to the sheriff's truck, pulling on the door handle and hitting the window when it was locked. In all the time I'd been in his truck, he had never locked it before. I yelled out as I let my hand pull on the door handle one more time before giving up and turning toward the end of the driveway. My ankle was still sore as I started running down the drive and down the path that led to the back road, but I didn't care, I was a woman on a mission.

I didn't stop, despite the chills that rattled my teeth and the cramps that ached my body. I kept running through the storm, letting the rain drench me as I ignored the exhaustion and the shivers. By the time I reached Charlie's diner, I was sure I resembled a drowned rat. I could feel the cold, wet rain water all the way in the toes of my shoes and I was soaked to the bone, but I had made it. And sometime between Emmett's cabin and the diner, my attitude had changed. I wasn't scared... I was pissed. He left me alone, without a phone, without a car, with no idea where he was going, in the middle of a storm. How dare he.

I threw open the diner door and walked in. It made my grand entrance a little less dignified when my shoes squeaked and water pooled on the floor below me. Bella was pouring coffee into the mug of a late night customer but she looked up when the bell above the door sounded. Her eyes widened, presumably at my appearance, and she continued to pour coffee into the cup, despite the fact that it was running over.

"Um, Bells?" The man said as he scooted his chair back away from the coffee. She looked down then and grimaced as she slung a towel out of her apron pocket and sopped up the mess before saying something quickly to the customer and waddling towards me.

"Where is he?" I seethed before she had even reached me.

"Where is who? And what the hell happened to you? You look like you were thrown off the low water bridge or something."

My teeth chattered and the goosebumps that rose on my skin were painful. "Where is Emmett?"

"What do you mean?" Bella asked again, though this time she grabbed my shoulder and moved me toward a chair.

"He left." I growled as she pushed me down into a chair and yelled for Eric to bring her some towels. "We were having a good night, we were talking and laughing and looking at my pictures and then he just stormed out like a pissy teenager and he didn't come back. I figured if he came anywhere he would have come here."

I was breathing heavily as Eric showed up in the front of the store, his arms laden with white industrial towels and he set them on the table as Bella grabbed one and started drying my hair out. Her hands wrung out the water that had soaked my tresses and she used the rest of the towels to dry me off somewhat, saving me from hypothermia. I'd have to send her something else now too, on top of what I already owed her. I heard her yell at Jessica for something and then she waddled over to the counter, leaving me to stew. Bella returned quickly, a Styrofoam cup of something steamy and delicious in one hand, a jacket stretched over her belly and the car keys in her fist.

"Come on, I'm taking you back to the cabin. I'll wait with him for you." I didn't argue as I downed the rest of the warm substance and followed her out to her old red truck, sliding into the passenger side of the unlocked door.

The ride back up to the house was silent and I looked over a couple of times to see Bella gnawing on her bottom lip, her hands clutching the steering wheel tightly as she stretched her legs to reach the pedals. I waited until Bella had slid from the passenger seat and made her way into the house before I got out and followed her. I didn't want to be the first to see Emmett and maybe she could warn him to run if he was in there, though by the absence of his massive Jeep, I'd wager he wasn't. I walked into the front door as Bella lowered herself down onto the couch, using one hand for support as the other hand held on to her abdomen. Her foot kicked the book, abandoned on the floor in front of the couch and I walked over to pick it up.

"You were looking at that?" She asked softly, eyeing the black book in my hands. "May I see it?"

I nodded and handed her the closed book, crossing my arms over my chest as I watched her open it slowly and start to flip through the pages one by one. And then she reached the very picture the book had been open to when Emmett freaked out. She froze and her full lips opened as she sucked in a sharp gasp of air.

"Shit." She sighed and she ran the back of her hand over her forehead. "Shit, shit, shit."

"What? Was it something I did? I didn't..."

"Rose, do you remember this models name?" She asked as she used her finger to point at the contorted girl.

"No... not really. Why?"

"That, is Chloe Montgomery. And she's Emmett's ex."

I felt all of the air leave my lungs and my angriness burst like a bubble in a child's small hand. "What? She's Chloe? _The_ Chloe?"

"Yup." Bella sighed and she scooted over to make room for me on the couch. "How much do you know about Chloe?"

"Just what Alice told me."

"Aw, yes. Alice. Well, what did Alice tell you?"

"That she broke his heart and then left him. Was there something else?" I asked as I sat down carefully next to Bella.

"Much more." She scoffed and she set the book down in the space between us, her brow furrowing as she looked up to meet my eyes. "Emmett and Chloe had always been together. _Always_. For, as long I can remember. They were _that_ couple. You know, the one that meet each other in diapers and then never leave each other's sides. They were attached at the hip and everyone knew they would get married. They were so in love." She stopped and shook her head, making her brown ponytail sway with the motion. "Emmett was in love, Chloe...well she was Chloe.

"She was four years younger than him. It wasn't a big deal around here. It was just... Emmett and Chloe. Emmett wanted to be a super hero. He wanted to be a cop and a firefighter and he wanted to help people. Chloe wanted to be a model. She was beautiful, but no one really listened to her. We live in backwoods Tennessee, it just didn't seem realistic. So everyone thought they would end up getting married, stay here in Independence. Raise a family. Chloe hated the idea of that. We were best friends. She told me everything and as much as she said she loved Em, she hated here that much more."

Bella turned her downcast eyes up to meet mine, they suddenly didn't reflect the sad tone she was using, but instead the anger she felt inside. If that anger had been directed at me, I would have been terrified.

"And then _it_ happened. Chloe was under so much stress. She was going to lose her job downtown and her parents were arguing, her mom was sick and she was under a lot of pressure to settle down with Emmett. Looking back now, it feels like it was all my fault. It was my birthday and we all went to Dub's to celebrate. Both of us were underage but the boys bought us drinks anyway. The next thing I know, one thing had led to another and Chloe said she was pregnant. Emmett was brought up without a father, there was no way he would have let his baby go through that same thing. So he did the only thing he really could do, he proposed. Chloe was reluctant but I talked her into it. She needed Emmett and so did their baby, and quick as a flash Alice had a shot-gun wedding ready to go.

"I was her maid of honor and I was staying at her house the night before the wedding. I was waiting for her in her bedroom and we were going to go to Alice's house to watch movies for a while when she ran out of her bathroom and hugged me so tight I thought my eyes might pop out of my skull. Turns out she wasn't pregnant. She started her period that night."

I breathed out deeply and it surprised me because up until then I hadn't even realized I had been holding my breath. Bella's eyes were watery as she looked at me and I waited for her to finish the story.

"She told me that she didn't want to go through with the wedding if she didn't have to. That she had sent pictures out to some agents in New York and right after her drunken night with Em, they had got in touch with her. They wanted her to fly out there and she wanted to go. I tried to talk her out of it but her mind was set. It was like arguing with a brick wall and there was nothing I could do to stop her." Bella took a deep shaky breath and twiddled her thumbs as tears started falling down her cheeks. "I didn't tell Emmett. I thought she'd snap out of it and see that what she had in front of her. What she had _here_, was too good to pass up. So I left the next morning to get my hair done like I was supposed to, and I met at the church at the right time with everyone else. And we waited, and waited, and waited. And she never showed up. She left a note that's it. One _fucking_ note. It broke Emmett's heart. He was left at the altar. And in that one day he lost the girl he thought he loved, the baby he thought he was going to have, and the future with the both of them that he wanted. So yes, she broke his heart and left. But she also took a part of him with her and he hasn't been the same since..."

"Oh God." I covered my mouth with my hand as my own tears fell down my cheeks, and landed on my lips. "I... I didn't know.. I'm sorry."

"You couldn't have known." Bella sighed. "We didn't tell you."

"But I shouldn't have...and then he... and I was mad at him. No, more than that... I was...I was pissed. But it was my fault and..."

"Rose. Stop it. Really." She commanded and I quit talking to see her smiling gently at me. "You didn't let me finish. Emmett hasn't been the same since she left, until he met you. And I don't know why, or how. But somehow you brought him back to life. You brought _my_ Emmett back. And I should thank you for that. It wasn't that I didn't like you." I raised my eyebrow and she laughed quietly. "Alice told me you thought that. But I do like you Rosalie. I like you... a lot. You're nice and funny and really smart. And you don't take shit from Emmett. I just, don't want him to get hurt, and it seems like he fell too hard and too fast and if you aren't there to catch him, I'm scared no one will be able to this time."

I nodded my head as I slowly let her words sink in. She thought Emmett was in love with me? It made my heart beat faster and slower at the same time. It made my face want to break out into a unjustified grin, and it made my knees fell like jelly and I didn't even want to move for fear that they wouldn't hold me up. But at the same time, it hurt. It scared me. It made me want to run away. Because no matter what, the people I love always end up hurting, whether or not it was my fault or not. My parents died, the one ex I did have wouldn't talk to me now because of the person I had become after their deaths. I had built a wall around myself and spent lots of time sculpting it and perfecting it to keep things like this out. To keep people like Bella out, to protect myself. But more to protect people like Emmett. People who knew how to tear down parts of my wall and let me be me. And those same people, Emmett especially, who I wanted to love.

"Oh." I broke out of my daze to look at Bella who had lifted herself to a standing position and held her belly in between her hands. She must have seen the panic on my face as I watched her cringe because she smiled and reached out to pull my hand towards her. She gently placed it palm down on her stomach and held it there. "This... this is what love is. This is why we're here and this is what Emmett deserves." I felt the small flutter under my hand and I looked up to see Bella studying me intently. I pulled my hand away and she walked to the door, grabbing her keys from the counter and leaving the front door.

I might have called her back and asked her to stay with me, even though I knew I needed to think. But at that moment, the roaring of an engine interrupted any time I might have had to think, because I knew whose it was. It was Emmett.

He parked right in front of the door, again not locking his doors, and made his way up to it. I was off the couch and across the room as soon as his feet touched the floor over the threshold.

"You scared me you douche bag." I yelled as my fist collided with his chest. His eyes narrowed and he slammed the door shut behind him.

"I scared you? Rosalie it isn't all about you, and I thought maybe you'd realize that, but I guess you really are just a narcissistic bitch."

"I'm narcissistic? Emmett you left me here alone, with no way to get out of here and no idea where you went. I was scared to death Emmett."

"The truck was here, you would have been fine." He snapped as he slid out of his sneakers and pulled his jacket off.

"The truck was locked." I retorted quickly. "But that wasn't why I was scared."

"Oh yeah? Then why were you scared? Were you scared because the electricity might go out? Aren't you a little old to be afraid of the dark? Or were you scared because..."

"I was scared because my parents died on a night like this Emmett. My parents hit a patch of water on the highway and hydroplaned and ended up in a ditch upside down. They died Emmett and I was scared the same thing would happen to you." I wasn't even aware the my voice had risen. And it wasn't until after I stopped screaming that I realized that I had been. Or that I had been hitting him as the tears fell down my cheeks. It was like I remembered that night perfectly. Like I was still seventeen and waiting for my parents to come pick me up from my friend Audra's house after their date night. I hadn't done anything then. I hadn't cried, I had let everyone else do that for me. But now, it felt like I was making up for all of that. My fists were pounding into his back as he stood in front of me, but he turned around slowly and pulled me into his arms. It felt right. It felt... safe.

"I'm sorry." He whispered and his breath blew my hair around my face. I nodded slightly and our eyes trapped each other as he slowly moved his face down to meet mine.

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Before I could change my mind, I reached up and closed the difference between our faces, our lips met instantly and started working together. I ran my tongue along his bottom lip and he opened his mouth quickly, granting me entrance as I pushed my body closer to him. His hands slowly slid down my back and under my shirt as he helped me in my plight to be one with him. I felt his growing hardness on my stomach and I moaned into his mouth as my hand inched it's way down to stroke him through his sweats.

It was his turn to moan into my mouth as my hand reached it's destination and he pulled away from my lips to reach his mouth down and suck on the skin at the base of my neck. I threw my head back, opening up to him, as I continued to massage him. His hands worked their way down from the small of my back to my ass and he cupped his hands around my cheeks, pulling me up and into him. I sensed what he wanted as I let him pick me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist, rubbing the seam of my pants onto his hard on.

"Rose, I'd really like to do this right and not fuck you right here in the hallway so will you please stop so I can get us into the bedroom."

I laughed as I became still and instead started running my fingers through his curls as I licked and nipped at his ear and neck. Apparently that was just as bad as his steps quickened and all too soon he was setting me down on the bed. I felt my lower lip jut out and I heard him chuckle as he stepped back and pulled his tank top over his head, leaving his chest bare and gleaming with sweat. His pants weren't doing much to hide his erection and I laughed as I reached down to slowly pull my shirt over my head, taking my time as I let it cascade up inch by inch. I heard him growl and suddenly I was on my back and his hands were pushing mine away as he pulled my shirt up and off, throwing it carelessly over his shoulder as he bent his head down to kiss the skin right above my belly button. I shuddered as his tongue slowly slid up the length of my stomach until he reached my bra.

"You taste so good." He moaned as he positioned himself over me, using his arm muscles to hold his weight above me, and bent his head down to devour my lips.

My hands ran up his arms, and I thrilled in the fact that I could feel the goosebumps raising on them as my fingers touched him lightly. I let my hands roam over his upper body. Relishing in every little detail of him. From the way his cheeks were covered in a light stubble, to the way his pecs felt beneath my palms. My hands followed their own path as they wandered down his happy trail to where his cotton sweat pants rested on his hips. I hooked my thumbs in each side of them as I slowly pulled them down over his legs. Emmett pulled away from my lips and smirked his sexy smile as he stood up and stepped back, taking his pants the rest of the way down and taking his boxers with it. My eyes must have widened as I took in every inch of him because he laughed as he walked slowly towards me and I quickly undid the button on my shorts and pulled them off, leaving me in nothing but a bra and pantie set courtesy of Alice.

I breathed in as Emmett rejoined me on the bed, running my hands through his hair as I pulled his mouth to mine and inhaled his scent deeply. I felt Emmett's hand creep behind me as he worked to unfasten my bra and I lifted myself up off of the bed an inch to allow his hand more room. When he had finally gotten it he pulled back to look at me, the same smile still on his face. He bent down and took one of my hardened nipples into his mouth, using his thumb and forefinger to massage the other. I threw my head back, lifting myself up to him as he switched sides, doing the same to my other breast as I arched my back to him.

He pulled his head back up to mine after a minute and our lips met again as I felt his fingers tugging on the waistband of my panties. After a few seconds, my impatience over took me and I pushed on his chest to reach down and pull them swiftly off myself, kicking them off from my ankles and hoping they landed somewhere where I'd be able to find them later. Emmett had rolled to his side to let me take my panties off so I took advantage of his position as I pushed him backwards and straddled him. Emmett lay flat beneath me, his hands roaming over every available inch of me as I pushed my hair back over my shoulder. Finally, his fingers came to rest lightly on my hips and I felt myself smile as I leaned down to press my lips to his.

"Are you sure about this?" He whispered and I nodded quickly as I lowered myself down onto him, taking the full of his length in one swift motion. It took me a few seconds but then my hips started moving slowly against his and I let my hands rest on his chest as he quickened our pace.

He rolled us over suddenly, still inside of me, and he crushed his body into mine holding himself up with one hand as the other tangled itself into the mess that was my hair. His curls bounced as we worked together, my hips coming up to meet his as he slid in and out of me. Our bodies were sweating, and I could smell his deodorant and mine, as it intermingled. My fingernails were digging into his shoulders as he slipped his hand from my hair to behind me, pulling me to him by the small of my back. Abruptly, his mouth was on mine again and I reveled in the way I could taste the sparks on his tongue. I felt him spill into me at the same time that I did, climaxing together as we drowned each other in love. He rolled so that he was laying beside me, pulling me into his arms as he kissed every inch of my face and I ran my hands up and down his sweaty chest, memorizing the way it felt beneath my fingers. I knew I should have waited, I should have decided if this was what I wanted, it was so wrong. But laying here beside him, it just felt right. The still of the silence as he breathed out and I breathed in, the feel of my chest against his, The thrum of his heartbeat beneath my fingers as it slowly returned to a normal pace. I'd deal with the consequences later, for now, I just wanted to be like this. Because everything worked in his arms.

"Hey Rosie?" He asked quietly after he had ceased with his barrage of kisses on my face and was absentmindedly playing with my hair.

"Yeah?"

"Why is your hair wet?" I laughed as I stretched up to kiss his lips.

"It's a long story, and we don't have time."

"Oh really?" He smirked, raising an eyebrow as I slid my body on top of him, shaking my head.

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**_A/N: That was the first lemon I've ever written by myself. Thanks to Lilah for reading it for me to make sure it wasn't too craptastic. I appreciate it. So if you meet or exceed the reviews for last chapter, I'll post another tomorrow (maybe even tonight depending on how fast you get it.) and Kellan is on again tonight! Just keep your legs in mind when you watch him.  
Besos. _**


	16. I Fell For You

_**A/N: First off, I have a broken toe. It really hurts and I blame Ghost hunters. That show is just too good to miss and I can't run for the life of me. Okay, so before everyone delves into this chapter, I just wanted to say a few things about it. So, first, It's not my best. I put off writing this because it's not the best. But it has to be done, so I hope I don't get too many death threats for it. Just remember that Rose has a past and she's always afraid of what might happen if she lets herself get too close to someone. And Emmett, well... with his past, he's bound to have issues. Just sayin'. **_

_**Disclaimer: Once again, I own nothing.**_** _Emmett however, does own me. True story._**

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_**Chapter 16**_

_**Rosalie POV**_

I woke up with my face pressed tightly up against Emmett's chest. I breathed in deeply as his musky, sweet, sweaty scent assaulted my senses and I leaned even further into him, letting my hand wander over his torso.

"Would you stop?" His voice was gruff with sleep and I smiled as I looked up to see him looking down at me, his full lips pulled up into that ridiculously sexy smirk.

"Why?"

"Because unlike some people, I actually have to go to work today. In a few minutes in fact, and I'd really rather you not start something you can't finish." He laughed, his chest bouncing with the motion, making me jiggle against him.

I felt his fingers run through my long hair that was fanned out behind me on the pillow, probably tangled from having been wet when I finally went to sleep last night. But I couldn't care less as his words penetrated my mind. Something I had been putting off for three days now. Something that was so important the rest of my career depended on it, and thus, the rest of my life.

"Shit." I gasped as I sat up abruptly, pulling the blankets up with me as I slid off the bed and made my way to where my black bag was sitting beside Emmett's bedroom door. I had moved it there to keep it away from Tatum after I found her rummaging through the pockets looking for 'candy'.

"What's wrong?"

I shook my head and waved a hand distractedly in his direction as I pulled out my little black planner and opened it up. I felt all the breath leave my body as I counted the days I had been here back through the calendar. Six days, it seemed like so much longer than that, and yet somehow I had still lost track of the days.

"Rose, would you _please_ tell me what's wrong?" I felt Emmett's arms wrap around my waist and I closed my eyes, leaning back into him.

"Nothing." I lied quickly as I closed my calendar and threw it back down on top of my bag. I turned around so that I could wrap my arms around Emmett's neck and brought my face up to his. "Just thought I'd forgotten something."

"Good, because there was something I wanted to do before I had to leave this morning."

I laughed as his arms wrapped around me and carried me back to the bed, his lips never leaving mine.

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I was blissfully happy as I watched Emmett get ready for work, his progress deterred anytime he would walk back into the bedroom where I still lay on the bed. Until finally, he left the house and drove away for work. He said it would probably be a long day, considering the storm had most likely knocked down power lines and left people stranded.

I sluggishly made my way out of bed, taking a shower and braiding my hair, before going out to eat a piece of toast. It was then I saw the note on the kitchen counter, I picked it up, sliding the set of keys off of the top of it, and read it.

_Rosie, _

_You know where everything is, so help yourself. _

_Thought you might want to go hang out with Alice today while I'm gone. _

_Don't do anything I wouldn't do, and don't talk about me. _

_Have fun._

_Love, _

_E._

I smiled as I held the keys to his Jeep in my hand. I quickly threw on some clothes and ate my toast in a few quick bites before grabbing my equipment and jumping into the drivers seat. It had been a while since I had driven stick, but eventually I got the hang of it and I pulled up in front of Alice's house in no time.

She must have heard me coming because she met me on the front porch, Tatum clapping her hands excitedly when she saw me.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Alice asked as I danced up onto the porch in front of her.

"I need to interview you and take your picture and then take some of your clothes back..."

"Oh. The vogue shoot." Alice said, not hiding the disappointment in her voice as she led me into the kitchen and handed me a cup of coffee.

"Yeah. What else?"

"Get that bewildered look off your face, you know I'm talking about the sex."

I choked on the sip of coffee I had in my mouth and Alice laughed as she handed Tatum a plate of toasted frozen waffles.

"So how was it?"

"Alice." I groaned.

"_What_, I want to know. Was it hot? Was it dull? Was it mind-blowing?"

"You're Emmett's _cousin_. Not exactly the first person I want to tell about our sex life."

"Ha. So you did have sex." She squealed, clapping her hands and bouncing on her heels.

"Yes, okay." I hissed as I cast a nervous glance in Tatum's direction. "Should we really be talking about this in front of a two year old anyway?"

Alice rolled her eyes and huffed but stopped talking as she returned to her coffee, throwing furtive glances in my direction when she thought I wasn't paying attention.

"Mommy. Done." Tatum said finally from the table and Alice smiled as she wiped the sticky syrup from her face and hands and then let her run out of the room.

"See. Now we can talk." Alice said as she pulled out a chair and sat down, scooting out the chair next to her and smiling broadly at me. I sighed but sat down any way, letting the interrogation begin. "So how was it?"

"Amazing." I breathed and despite my reluctance at sharing anything with Alice, I felt the grin take residence on my face again as I started telling her all about it.

"Wow." She finally said and she rested her cheek upon her hand, staring at me in wonder. "Who knew my cousin could be a gentleman...or romantic... or sweet."

I snorted as I drained the last of my coffee and stood up to put my cup in the sink."Let's get this show on the road."

Alice laughed and stood up and that's when I noticed it. The way her hand rested on her stomach for just a second too long. The way she kept smoothing her shirt down over her stomach.

"You're pregnant?"

"No. Why would you think that? I'm not... no..." I raised an eyebrow and her too innocent smile fell and she bit her lip. "Yeah, I am. But I.. I haven't even told Jazz yet."

"Why not?"

"I've...um.. Well I've had a couple of _incidents_ and each time it just kills him. I just want to make sure first that this one is going to...well..."

"I won't tell anyone." I assured her as I put an arm around her shoulder. She smiled and hugged me back as we walked out of the kitchen and up the stairs to a spare room that Alice used as her makeshift studio.

I was completely blown away as she opened the door for me and led me in. It was a small room, yet it was full to bursting with different articles of clothing that hung on the makeshift clothes racks attached along the walls. A sewing desk sat in the very middle of the room and around it, fabric was scattered in piles.

"This is...incredible Alice." I breathed as I did a complete three-sixty and tried to keep my jaw from hitting the floor.

"Thanks." She smiled as she came in behind me and sat in her chair.

"How did you do all of this?"

She shrugged as she flipped a switch on her sewing machine and started changing out the needle on it. "When Elijah was born... I was devastated. I loved him, don't get me wrong, but I thought it was my fault that he was downs syndrome. It was painful and it should have been a happy time. Jasper and Emmett saw that I was depressed and...they made me this room. Eli used to have a bassinet right here." She pointed right beside her with a smile on her face. "And he would sleep so happily when I was sewing."

I smiled at the way her face lit up when she talked about her kids. The way her pure, unadulterated love for them shined through with even the simplest of words. I wondered if I would ever love anything that much. I sighed as I pulled out my tape recorder and pen and paper and sat down on the floor beside Alice as I started the interview.

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"Honey, we're home." The shout from the front door made both Alice and I roll our eyes as we heard Elijah and Tatum squeal and the pitter patter of little feet as they ran toward their dad and Emmett.

"Hey Al." Jasper cooed as he walked into the kitchen with Tate in his arms, placing a kiss on his wife's cheek as she washed the dishes. "You look positively radiant."

Alice and I shared a knowing glance as she handed me a soapy dish and I rinsed it off underneath the jet of warm water and then placed it into the dish drainer.

"Rosalie." Elijah called and I turned to see him perched atop Emmett's shoulders, barely missing the door as they ducked through it. A brilliant smile lit up both of their faces. "We get to go to Renée and Charlie's tonight."

"Crap. I forgot all about that." Alice groaned and she hit her forehead with her hand, forgetting the soap that was dripping from her hands as it splashed Jasper and I and trickled down her face.

She must have seen the confusion on my face as she turned and wiped her hands on a nearby dishtowel. "Jasper, Emmett, there's a few garment bags on the couch with some things for Rose in them, will you take them out to the car?" The boys nodded and disappeared out of the room like obedient puppies. "Every year, Renée and Charlie host a pot luck in their backyard on Renée's birthday. It's not huge, but a lot of people come to it."

I watched as she opened the refrigerator door and rummaged around inside before pulling out all the ingredients for potato salad.

"The kids play while the adults talk, and then Charlie proposes to Renée. It's a tradition."

"Every year?" I asked as she flitted around me, mashing this and stirring that.

"Yup. And every year she says no. It never ceases to amaze me that that man is still with her. But I guess love is blind."

I swallowed and Alice finished up her impromptu recipe, handing me the bowl and grabbing some saran wrap.

"Don't worry, it'll be fun." She assured me before dancing out of the kitchen and up the stairs to get ready.

And fun it was. At first at least. Emmett was engaged in a rousing game of hide and seek the minute we pulled up in front of the house. I laughed as I watched him squeeze himself into nooks and crannies and the kids always seemed to find him. Bella was exhausted as she lounged around on the porch, her feet thrown up on the deck railing as Edward waited on her hand and foot. Renée's neighbor, Edith I think her name was, asked me every five minutes or so who I was and every five minutes, I'd tell her again. Alice seemed to find that funny as she snorted into her diet coke over and over again. I had managed to finally dodge the old lady as I sat down on a bench beneath the shade of two huge trees, it was relaxing and entertaining as I had a front seat as Emmett got stuck wedged in between the house and the air-conditioning unit. Jasper was laughing so hard he had tears rolling down his cheeks and he was gasping for breath as Carlisle and Edward helped to pull him out.

"Hey, Rose." I turned to see Edwards niece, or cousin, I wasn't exactly sure what she was, sitting beside me.

"Hello Vanessa."

"Please, call me Ness. Everyone else does." I chuckled and nodded as she took a drink from her cup. "Jacob had to work late tonight but he wanted me to tell you that your car is ready to go whenever you are."

I felt my eyes go huge and Ness laughed as I pulled her into a hug. "Thank you so much."

"Anytime." She chuckled as I let go of her and let her leave to go stand by Charlie at the grill.

My car was ready, it was fixed, and I could go home. I should have been jumping for joy and shouting at the top of my lungs. But as I watched Emmett wrestle with Elijah and two little boys with identical sandy blonde hair, I felt a lump form in my throat. I _could_ go home, but did I really know where that was anymore? I let my eyes wander across the people in the backyard. Alice was in a heated conversation, her arms flailing wildly as she made gestures to go along with her words, with Esme and Bella. Edith sat beside them, laughing at whatever Alice was saying as she sipped on a beer. Carlisle and Edward had joined Charlie at the grill and they stood beside it, watching the hamburgers cook. Why men did that, I would never understand. The kids were still running around but Tatum was sitting in the middle of the yard a bouquet of flowers in front of her as Renée showed her how to tie the ends together, making nature's jewelry.

"Hey. You okay?" I looked up, startled, to see the one person I really wanted to. His deep chocolate brown eyes conveyed everything as he stared at me.

I wanted to nod. I wanted to tell him I was fine. I wanted to say something. I just didn't know what. I had known Emmett for a total of six days and yet it felt like an eternity since he had found me in my car and broken the window to get me out. It seemed like forever ago I had inadvertently broke his nose and it still surprised me that he had forgiven me for that.

"Rosalie?" His voice was anxious as he got down to kneel in front of me.

"I'm fine." I finally whispered as his hands cupped my cheeks and made me look at him. His brow didn't relax as he gently ran his fingers down the length of my cheekbone, making it explode with unseen fire. "Really. I am."

He nodded his head and stood up, sitting down next to me and pulling my hand into his, tracing the lines on my palm with his thumb as he continued to stare at me.

"What?" I finally asked as his eyes continued to bore into me.

"I'm waiting for you to tell me the truth."

My breath caught and I pulled my hand out of his. "I am." I said quietly and I saw him shaking his head before I had even finished talking.

"No. I can tell Rosie. Something's wrong. What is it?"

"Nothing." I insisted as hot tears clouded my vision and I blinked against them, trying to hold them back. "Nothing's wrong, I wish people would just stop assuming that something is. You don't even know me."

I hated myself for snapping as soon as I had done it, but the words had already left my mouth and I couldn't apologize for them. Because they were true. Although as I saw the hurt flash across Emmett's face, I wanted them not to be. I wanted them _desperately_ not to be.

"I know more about you than you think Rose." Emmett said softly.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, I know that your parents died when they were going to buy you your seventeenth birthday present and you blamed yourself for a long time. I know that you worked at a coffee shop called Regina's and an elementary school to pay for college. You hate taking pictures that don't mean anything to you, yet you do it anyway to pay the bills. You have one friend outside of work, named Kate and she was worried about you when you didn't show up to your monthly lunch date. I know that you love hot chocolate with extra whipped cream on top and you're favorite outfit is a pair of yoga pants and your old drama t-shirt from high school. You want four kids and a Labrador retriever, and you have a bad habit of biting your fingernails when no one is looking. You're favorite color is blue and despite what so many people may think, you're a natural blonde."

His eyes were on mine now and as much as I wanted to, I couldn't look away. My breathing was staggered and it suddenly felt like I had been punched in the gut as we stared at each other. He was right. Everything he said was right and that scared me.

"Kate called the police station here when you didn't show up and she couldn't get a hold of you." He explained. "I told her you were fine and..."

"You talked to her and you didn't tell me?" I asked hoarsely.

"Well I..."

"And what gives you the right to ask her questions about me?" I couldn't explain the way my words were coming out. The way they took a harsh tone as they jumped from my tongue to the heavy air that hung between Emmett and I. It was like my brain and my body were no longer connected as I stared into his face and watched as his hurt look at my outburst, slowly turned to anger of his own.

"What gives me the right?" He asked incredulously. "What gives me the right is that you mean so much to me Rosalie. So much. And I hate it that you do. I hate that I care about what you think and what you want and how you _feel_ but for some God awful reason, I do." His jaw tightened and he picked himself up off the bench. "What I hate most is that despite my best efforts, I fell for you. I listened to what every one else said. I let them talk me into feeling something for you and only now am I realizing how wrong I was. I was right, you're just like the rest of them. Selfish and mean and cold. You're _just_ like Chloe. And the sad thing is, I still love you."

My gut wrenched as he fumed in front of me. His nostrils were flaring and his teeth were mashing together. He was right. I was selfish and mean and cold. I was all those things and more. I felt the tears sting my eyes and I didn't bother to hide them as I stood up from the bench and stalked past Emmett, ignoring Alice who tried to stop me and Bella who whispered my name. He was right, and I had to get out of there before I hurt anyone else.

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_**A/N: So, I want to make sure everyone is still with me. Just for the record, I love happy endings. Don't believe me? Go read "Pieces". Since my toe is broken, I really have nothing to do, so if I get enough reviews again, I'll just post as I wallow in my sorrow. If not, then I'll send out the sneak peeks and eat lots of cake. Though the cake will probably happen reviews or no reviews.  
Besos.  
**_


	17. Another Round Please

_**A/N: Thank you all so much for the well wishing over my toe. It's no longer purple, which is good...I think. But it's still quite sore. I also ate a piece of cake for everyone who asked, and I must say, I don't know if I'll be able to eat cake again for awhile. It was quite a lot. Thank you all so much for not hating me over the last chapter and seeming to understand why it needed to be done. You all are wonderful. I was going to wait until I had 30 reviews for this chapter, but then I realized I have no patience. **_

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **_

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_**Chapter 17**_

_**Rosalie POV**_

"Rosalie. Wait." I stopped halfway down the long driveway and ran the back of my hand under my nose. I turned slightly and before I knew it Jasper was beside me. It was the only reason I stopped. If it had been anyone else I would have sped up.

"I just...I need to go." I sobbed and I felt Jasper's arm wrap around my shoulders.

"I know. Come on, I'll take you to Embrake's." He said soothingly as he led me back to his sleek black car and helped me in.

The ride back into town was silent and I didn't know if I was thankful for that or not. Jasper didn't say anything as he pulled up in front of the little house and turned off the car.

"I'm sorry." I choked out and I felt Jasper's hand come to my face, brushing back the hair there as he smiled at me sadly.

"It's alright." He assured me and then he unbuckled and came around to help me from the car.

He didn't say anything else but gave me a quick hug and then got back into his car and pulled away. I walked up the rough little path and into the shop. Embry was in the front, leaning against the counter as a girl with long blonde hair stood beside him.

"I'll get Jake." He said as soon as he took one look at me, and both him and the girl disappeared through the back.

Jake came out to meet me a few minutes later and he held my car keys in his hand. I took them from him and got his information, since he didn't take credit cards, and promised him the check would be in the mail. He smiled politely and let me leave and leave I did.

I didn't remember half the ride back as I pulled up in front of my cold, gray apartment building and tossed my keys to the valet. His eyes widened as he took me in, and I didn't doubt that I looked like hell. But I didn't care. I slumped against the wall in the elevator as I rode up to my fourth story apartment, willing myself not to break down. It felt like there was a hole in my chest and I couldn't figure out what it was or why it was there. It took me forever to get into my house, my hands were shaking so hard from the sobs that I couldn't get the key into the lock. And it had taken me even longer to actually figure out which key it was because the tears that were obscuring my vision. By the time I got inside I couldn't even muster up enough strength to get down the hallway and into my bedroom, instead just falling to my hands and knees and then laying on the floor behind my oversized, barely used couch. I let the tears come, washing down my cheeks as I cried them all out. I could see from the window outside that the morning light had slowly turned to darkness and I used that as my excuse to pull myself up and trip to my bedroom, throwing myself into bed with my clothes on and pulling the heavy comforter up to my chin.

_I deserved this_. I told myself over and over again. This pain that I was feeling was so much less than what I actually should be feeling. For hurting Emmett, for letting myself get too close to him and everyone else in that town, for being like _her_. I talked myself down until my sobbing had died into a few little hiccups here and there and finally, I drifted off to sleep.

The night turned into day and the sun peeked in through the curtains that hung on my window. I pulled myself out of my bed and grabbed my cordless phone out of the kitchen. It didn't take long for me to convince Gemma that I was sick. She was gullible enough as it was, but add the way my voice was cracking and my nose was so stuffed up I sounded like a four year old who couldn't pronounce any of their words right, and she put me down for three days sick leave. It gave me just enough time to sleep some of this off and hopefully shake the feelings that were raging inside of me, and get back to finish my spread and effectively save my skin and my job. After hanging up, I collapsed in front of the couch, the throw blanket from the back wrapped tightly around me as I let darkness envelope me. It was easier that way. The less light I let in, the less I saw how much I had lost in such a short period of time.

The days passed in a blur. It was like the sun came up only to set again a few minutes later. I moved back and forth from the couch to my bed, to the floor even, and yet I still couldn't escape the ache in my chest. It made me feel short of breath and it made my eyes sting. It hurt. So when my intercom rang on the third day, I didn't want to get out of bed. I wanted to let the pain engulf me some more and maybe then it would end. But the ringing didn't stop and I knew that if I didn't get up and answer it, Felix or Mark, the desk managers, would come up to check on me. They knew I was here and they wouldn't hesitate to break down the door. So I kept my blanket wrapped tight around me and went to answer it.

"Hello?" My voice rasped and I swallowed thickly, trying to make it sound better. It didn't work though and I was pretty sure that it was because I hadn't eaten or drank anything in three days.

"Miss Rosalie, there is someone here for you. They have a package." Felix said quietly into the receiver and I could imagine him eyeing whoever it was with morbid curiosity.

"Felix...I don't think... can you just have them leave it there?"

"I tried that miss but he says he won't leave unless he knows you've gotten this."

I felt a tug in my stomach and my brain started working through scenarios of who it was of it's own accord before I could stop it.

"Send him up then." I said and hung up after he thanked me.

The little buzzing ring of my doorbell sounded and I made my way from where I had stood immobile by the kitchen counter to the front door, not even peering through the peep hole to see who it was before unlocking it and pulling it open.

"You forgot these." He said and I gasped a little at the figure that stood before me.

I knew who I had been expecting when I opened the door, but what I definitely had not been expecting was to see Garrett standing in front of me. His long hair was loose today and he wore a tight black t-shirt and dark blue jeans. It was something that Emmett would have worn and I had to look away. So I looked down to his outstretched hand to see him holding my bags.

"Thanks." I muttered as I reached out to take them.

He ignored my hand though and pushed past me into my apartment.

"Pretty nice digs you got here." He said, looking around with a whistle. Before turning back to look at me. "You look like shit."

"Thanks again." I muttered dryly as he sat down the bags on the couch. I turned to open the front door again, holding it open for him. Instead, he made himself comfortable on the couch, putting his feet up on the coffee table in front of him. "What do you want Garrett?" I asked in annoyance.

"_We_, are going out tonight. Call your girlfriends." He smiled as he picked up the remote and turned my tv on. "And then get all dolled up and look your best."

"Garrett...no..." I whined as I pulled the edges of my blanket tighter around me.

"Don't argue or I'll call the woman behind all this and trust me, you don't want to mess with her."

"Who..."

"Uh uh. Go get ready." He commanded as he browsed the channels. "And call the girls."

He pulled my blackberry out of his pocket and tossed it to me. I could tell by the devious look in his eyes that he was_ not_ going to let this go. So I found my one friend's number and pushed the call button while I was still in the room with him.

"Oh my gosh. Rose is that you? I've been so worried." Kate said as she picked up the phone. Skipping over her usual greeting.

"Hi. Look, I know, you're probably busy and what not but one of my friends is making me go out." I growled. "And he won't let me say no. And I have to invite you so..."

"I'd love to. When and where?"

I felt my shoulders sag as I knew there would be no way out of this. But maybe it was a good thing. Maybe with some alcohol in my system and some loud music pumping behind my ears, I'd find the relief I'd been looking for. I could only hope.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"Another round please!" Garrett slurred as he wobbled on his barstool. Kate was beside him looking all giddy and I guess they did make a cute couple. Maybe they'd leave me alone to wallow if they hooked up.

The music was loud and blaring and the bodies on the dance floor were now covered in some form of sticky foam. Garrett insisted it was all the rage and he had done it numerous times in Europe but I could see girls who weren't nearly as drunk as they thought they were, crying when it got into their eyes.

"I think you dropped your name tag." I rolled my eyes and turned to my right to see a tall dark haired man with a big smile.

"What?" I asked dryly and I could hear Garrett and Kate bickering about something behind me.

"I said, I think you dropped your name tag." He held up a little white sugar packet and I resisted the urge to gag right in front of him.

Instead I turned back around to look at my two companions. "Have I been punished enough?" I asked and though I tried to stop it, the tears welled up in my eyes.

Kate got that maternal look as she slid, or more like stumbled, off her stool and came to wrap her arms around me and Garrett's eyes softened as he pulled out his wallet.

"We'll go..."

"No, you guys are having fun. You stay, I'll just go home." I told him.

He nodded but handed me a few bills telling me they were for the cab ride when I refused to take them at first. I wouldn't let them walk me outside, I didn't want them to see me like this. I had been trying so hard to act halfway sane for them. I answered questions when they asked me, and I ordered my own drinks. I even laughed at a few of the jokes Garrett threw out, though I didn't think it fooled them very much. I grabbed the nearest taxi and told him my address as I wrapped my arms around myself in the backseat. The ride seemed to take forever and I had to keep checking out of the windows to make sure the driver was even going in the right direction. When he finally pulled up outside of my building, I threw the money onto his seat and left without another word, not even bothering with the change I knew I should have.

"How are you Miss Hale?" Mark asked as I walked into the lobby. I nodded and pushed the button for my floor on the elevator. "You know, I've never seen you so torn up like this."

"Mark..." I started but he cut me off.

"You know, the best thing about love is that it heals all wounds." He said as he looked straight into my eyes. I nodded again as the door dinged open. "Anyway, hope you got some good pictures while you were out there in Tennessee."

"I did." I assured him as the doors closed and I pressed my floor button and leaned against the wall.

The ride up to my floor was short. Too short. And I found myself outside of my door without really even knowing how I'd gotten there. I realized this was becoming a bad habit and I'd have to stop before it became any worse and I ended up like Edith...

My thoughts trailed off as I walked into my apartment and threw my purse down on the couch, before walking back to my bedroom. Garrett hadn't said who made him come, but he did bring all of my bags and the garment bags that I would need when I went back to work tomorrow. My bags were on my bed when I walked in and I made to move them off when a piece of fabric caught my eye. It was one I knew well and one I had thought I'd never see again. I pulled the navy shirt out of the bag and quickly worked to rid myself of my tight jeans and sequined top. The block letters that so clearly read Sheriff on the front were like a lifeline as I grabbed on to it tight and inhaled deeply, taking everything in. Cleaning off my bed I climbed in and pulled the covers up.

Two hours later and I was still no closer to getting to sleep than I had been six hours ago. I pulled myself out of bed and made my way across the dark bedroom to turn on the light. My foot got caught in something halfway there and I had to catch myself on my dresser to keep from falling. You'd think I was clumsy with the way my feet had been working lately. I bent down to pick up the protruding object and quickly found the light switch. Looking down I saw it was my camera. The same camera I had taken Alice's picture with when I interviewed her and the same one I had taken with me to the fourth of July. I realized as I held it that I would need that picture of Alice tomorrow and I took the film out of the camera, making my way into the little room that sat off of my kitchen. It had once been a pantry but when I moved in I made it into more of a darkroom and it served it's purpose well enough.

I went through the motions without really thinking. Moving the pictures around in the solutions and then hanging them up to dry. By the time I had finished with the whole roll of film I was dead on my feet and I left the pictures to finish as I crawled back into bed and nuzzled my nose into the fabric of Emmett's t-shirt, letting sleep take me back to Independence. Back to the place I really wanted to be. Back to the person who loved me.

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**_A/N: Since I was handicapped this weekend, I got the rest done. I'm sad to say it's winding down...quickly. But I think you all will appreciate what I've done...I hope. If not, I give full responsibility to WeasleyWeakness. Since it's done, I'm going to send out sneak peeks so if you want one, review and let me know. (our 'favorite' character makes an appearance next time.)  
Besos. _**


	18. I Am Thankful

_**A/N: Yay for 90210 nights. Who doesn't love them?**_

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **_

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_**Chapter 18**_

_**Rosalie POV**_

My alarm clock had gone off late. That was all I knew as I bounded into the elevator at Vogue offices. I had had just enough time to grab all of the pictures off the line, after dressing in a rush, and tuck the garment bags under my arms before I had to catch a cab and pray that I wouldn't be too late. I couldn't lose my job now. Not after all of this.

Gemma smiled at me when I stepped out of the elevator on the sixth floor. It faltered a bit when she saw my frazzled expression but she quickly turned around to answer a phone call and I ignored it. I was sure I'd be getting a lot of that today. I was, after all, dressed in the pair of jeans Alice had given me and an old band t-shirt of mine with Bella's converse securely on my feet. It was grungy and it was unsophisticated, but it was me. At least I could realize that now, sure I loved dressing up and looking nice, but what I liked more was being comfortable and working under the hood of a car. Apparently, no one in Vogue had ever dressed down before. That's the only thing I could figure as heads turned my way as I walked down the hallway to my little office. I locked myself in as soon as I had reached it, closing my eyes as I leaned on the door and took a few deep breaths. And that's when I smelled it. It was woodsy and fresh and summery all at the same time. I opened my eyes slowly and sure enough my desk was covered with a bouquet of sunflowers, the yellow standing out brightly against my dark desk. I held my breath as I walked over to the flowers and stood in front of them. I quickly rifled through them and pulled out the little piece of cardstock that was held in place by the plastic fork. Flipping it over, I pulled it out of the little white envelope and read what was written on it:

_E._

That was it. Nothing more and nothing less. Just 'E'. Before I could dwell on it anymore, Gemma opened my door, sticking her head around it and smiling at me tentatively.

"The models are here. Marcus wants to get them ready do you have the..."

"Right here." I said quickly as I pulled the garment bags from the leather chair that sat in front of my desk and held it out to her. She took it and left the door open behind her as she rushed away. Marcus was well known for his temperament when things didn't go a certain way. More importantly, when things didn't go his way. I sighed and put the card back in the flowers, grabbing the pictures and the transcript from the interview I had sent in when I called in sick, and headed down to where the shoot would be set up.

By the time I reached the second floor, the models were down to their skivvies as they were being ushered from hair and make-up chairs. I knew I had four models to shoot today, but that was about all I knew.

"Rosalie. I like the look." I smiled at Tasha who was busy pinning up a dress on a too skinny model whose long black hair had been piled up into braids on the top of her head.

"Ah, Rosalie, you're finally here." I turned to the voice to see Marcus walking towards me. His assistant, Alec, was clicking away on a PDA and had a bluetooth stuck in his ear as he jabbered away to whoever was on it. "Thought you would never show up."

I forced another smile and followed Marcus to where the crews were setting up the backdrops for the shoot today. He went on to tell me that two models would be shooting inside in front of a black backdrop while the other two would be shooting outside on the roof of the building. He left then to go see to the other two models as I started setting up my camera for the first shoot. I set down the folder that had my pictures in it on the chair that they had brought down for me. I wouldn't need it. The first two models were Naomi and Jaylyn. Nice girls, with nice hair. They did what they were told and it made my job easier that they weren't picky about the poses or the clothes. We were done quick and they said a quick goodbye to me before heading back to the dressing room. The crew was already striking down the backdrop so I grabbed my camera off of the tripod and gathered everything up into my hands and headed to the elevator with the production assistant, Jane, by my side.

The roof was bright and sunny now, the clouds from earlier having moved past quickly. It was a bit breezy so I pulled one of my elastics from around my wrist and secured my hair into a loose bun, not really caring what it looked like, just that it was out of my face and not in the way of the camera. I had gotten my setup just the way I wanted it, and I turned to go find Marcus to tell him we were ready, when I bumped into one of the models. She screamed as she spilled her cup of coffee down the front of her...or, Alice's shirt. And my folder, that I had been clutching in my hands, opened the pictures fluttering around in the slight breeze.

"I am so sorry." I said as I bent down to pick up the papers that were blowing in my legs. "I didn't see you there and..."

"Maybe if you'd watch where the hell you were going." She snapped and I looked up, my eyes narrowing, I hated models like this. Who thought they were the bees knees. They wouldn't be anywhere if it weren't for people like me. I was just about to voice this opinion when all the air was knocked out of me. Like I had been punched. Except, I hadn't.

"Chloe?" I asked as my jaw opened.

"Yes." She snarled as she used a napkin that Jane had pulled from somewhere, to wipe the shirt.

I scoffed and shifted the papers in my hands, not knowing what to say. This was awkward...for me at least.

"What do you want?" She spat just as the breeze picked up and one of my pictures flew into the air, slapping her on the side of the face. She grabbed it and pulled it away as I reached out for it. And then she froze. Her fingers clenched around the paper and I thought she was going to rip it. "Where did you get this?"

"Excuse me?" I asked again as I made a swipe for my picture.

"I said, _Where did you get this_?" She asked again slowly.

"I took it. It _is_ my job as a _photographer_. That's a pretty big word though I guess I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't understand it." I quipped as I finally grabbed the picture from her hands. She must not have been expecting me to grab it and her hands tightened just a fraction of a second too late, ripping off the corner of it.

I turned it around in my hand and then it was my turn to freeze. I hadn't taken this picture. In fact, I was positive neither subject knew it was taken. It was on the fourth of July and it was of Emmett and I right after he had tagged me and we had fallen to the ground. I was balanced on top of him and whoever had snapped the picture had zoomed in as both of our lips were turned up into identical grins. It was just before we had kissed and just before my world had been turned upside down.

"Who is it?" I snapped out of my reverie to see Chloe glaring at me. Her eyes were fierce as she stared me down and her arms were now crossed over her chest, her lips set into a thin line.

For a moment, I was speechless. What should I say to that? He's a man I met when I was stranded in fuck all nowhere Tennessee. He's also the man you left at the altar because you're a selfish bitch. He's the man I made sweet love to all night long. He's... He's the man I couldn't stop thinking about. The one who made my heart beat faster and slower at the same time. The one that made me smile just when I thought about him. He was everything I wanted. Everything I needed. He was the man I was in love with.

"I asked you a question." Chloe all but screamed as she inched her way closer to me.

"It's Emmett. Emmett McCarty." I said quietly as I looked down at the picture in my hand. I finally looked up to see her fuming in front of me. "Thank you."

"What?"

"You may not be worth shit Chloe, but I owe you more than I could ever imagine."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You left him. You left him hurt and broken... and not the same. But if you hadn't done that, I would _never_ have met him. I would never have seen what he looks like when he laughs and it's a _real _laugh. One that comes from deep down. Or when he talks to his family, the way his eyes sparkle. Or what he smells like after sex or...or after a shower. The point is, I wouldn't have met the man of my dreams because he would have been the man of yours. But thanks to you, I did meet him. And for that, I _am_ thankful."

"You have no idea what you're talking about." She yelled. "I left him because I wanted to make something of myself for him. I wanted to be right by him and I couldn't do that in Independence Tennessee. That place isn't even on maps, that's how small it is. I left _because_ I loved him."

I laughed darkly as I grabbed my camera from off of the tripod and slung it around my neck. "Yes, but you didn't come back because you loved yourself. Did you know he waited for you? Four years Chloe. Four years. I've been gone four days and I can't even stand it."

"Then why are you here and not with him?"

"Because I was stupid. Because I ran instead of facing what I was scared of. But... that won't be the case for long." Jane handed me the rest of my pictures and I nodded in thanks before turning to walk back through the door to the stairwell. I stopped with my hand outstretched when the door opened and my boss stepped through.

"Rosalie, how wonderful to see you're feeling better." She smiled and as I looked at her now, I could see how fake her smile really was. And not just in the way-too-much-Botox way.

"Thank you." I said shortly.

"Well, I'm here to look in on this shoot." She explained in her somewhat obnoxious voice.

"I'm sorry Ms. Summers, but I won't be able to do this shoot today." I said as I watched her eyes turn from cold and unfriendly to cold, unfriendly and angry.

"And why not?"

"Because I just realized I have somewhere I need to be."

"And it can't wait until after the shoot?" She asked incredulously.

"No, it really can't. I'm sorry but I _have_ to go. Now."

She had started shaking her head and _tsking_ before I had even finished talking. "I'm sorry dear but this is an important shoot, if you walk out now, you _won't_ come back."

I smiled kindly and nodded my head. "I kind of figured that." I said as I brushed past her and walked out of the door and away from my job. I just hoped Emmett could forgive me.

I was running as fast as I could when I left the office, I threw a quick word to Gemma asking her to pack up the things from my office. I hailed a cab as hastily as I could, giving them my address so fast they had to ask for it again. By the time they pulled up in front of my apartment, I was bouncing in my seat. I heard Felix say something as I ran past him but I didn't stop to chat as I hit the elevator button repeatedly, when it was taking too long I took the steps two at a time and was in my apartment in three minutes flat. I quickly grabbed my car keys, leaving everything else and made my way back down the stairs and out the door to the parking complex that my building co-owned. It was like fate was on my side as I made my way down the normally busy streets to find them easy to maneuver through. I gunned it as soon as I hit the interstate and didn't bother to slow down or stop anywhere. I had to get there. I just had to. I kept saying a silent prayer in my head as I watched the sun continue it's path across the sky.

My heart was pounding as I followed the same path through Tennessee, looking for the barely visible road that would lead to Independence. Once I had found it I got, if possible, even faster. My body leaning towards the steering wheel as I coaxed the car forward. I was so close. So close and still so far. And then it happened.

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**_A/N: I'm sorry. Just let me say that in advance before I get lots of hate mail. I wasn't going to end it there but I really had to. It was necessary. Sneak Peeks are ready to go. To the two people who didn't get them, I'm very sorry...I had to work today. If you want I can reciprocate with an extra long sneak peek for you. Now excuse me while I go wait on pins and needles to see if Kellan is on this episode.  
Besos. _**


	19. I Had Tennis Shoes On

_**A/N: So many of you had wonderful theories on what had happened to Rosalie. I hope you aren't disappointed too much. And I hope you love this chapter. I wrote it with every single one of you in mind. If you don't like lemons, there's one after the second set of 'X's' So don't read further than that.  
**_

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**_

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_**Chapter 19**_

_**Rosalie POV**_

I slammed my fist down on the steering wheel as my car sputtered to a stop. This could not be happening again.

"No fucking way." I screamed to no one in particular. The sun had begun to set and lightening was flashing across the sky as I tried over and over again to start my car. I had done everything, I had gotten here in three hours less than before, I hadn't killed anyone or almost hit a deer. No, I was stuck in the sticks...again. And all because I had forgotten to check my gas gauge, which now rested _below_ empty. I groaned loudly as I banged my head down on the steering wheel repeatedly, as though that would help my predicament any.

I was trying to count the miles in my head. I had to be at least four miles out. "Screw it." I growled as I slid out of my car, leaving the keys where they were in the ignition and slamming the door shut behind me. It was like deja vu as I stared around me, yet this time, I was running too something. _And_ I had tennis shoes on.

The sky was alight every few seconds as lightening and thunder kept beat with the sound of my shoes hitting the pavement beneath me. I half expected Emmett's sheriff truck to come barreling around the corner as he did his last patrol of the area. My heart was pounding behind my ears and my breath was coming in short little puffs, but I could already make out the few scattered lights from the city and I pushed myself toward those as a light mist started falling from the sky. My hair was falling down from it's messy bun and it was brushing against the back of my band t-shirt as I ran. I didn't know how long I had been running, or even what time it was, but as I finally reached the edge of town I felt my legs start to tire. I ignored the feeling as I pushed myself the last few remaining blocks and ran straight to the diner.

"Rosalie?" A deep voice asked and I spun around to see Jacob and Vanessa standing behind me, their hands on their car door handles as they looked at me in surprise.

"I need to get to Emmett's house." I said so quickly I wasn't sure they would even be able to understand me through the speed and my shortness of breath.

"He's... he's gone." Nessie said finally and I felt my whole body seize as the words ran through my brain.

"Wh..what?" I stammered as I blinked against the tears that were quickly filling my eyes. "Gone where?"

"Every year he goes on a fishing trip at the end of the summer. It's the one thing Charlie and him actually do together. They take Billy and old Harry and..."

"When did he leave?"

"You probably just missed him." Jake said quietly and I felt my heart collapse in on itself. And the tears did come.

"Come in and sit down with us." Nessie said from beside me as she wrapped her skinny arm around my shoulder and led me to the sidewalk and up toward the door. "Where is your car?"

"Out of gas." I said through the sobs that I was trying to repress and I heard her quiet murmur of understanding.

It was all for nothing. He was gone, and I was here. Of course, I could wait, but even I knew how stupid that would be. Emmett would stew while he was away. He would become bitter or come to hate me even more. If there was one thing I learned while hanging around him was that he inherited his stubbornness and so did Bella.

"Hey Jake...Rosalie?" I looked up to see Angela sitting behind the counter. It was odd to see her there, usually it was...

"Where's Bells?" Vanessa asked quickly.

"Her water just broke, I came in to help cover the night shift, her whole family was going over there."

My eyes widened and I looked to Ness to see her staring back at me. A smile suddenly lit up her face and she pulled her arm from around me as I took off running back out through the front door, passing Edith as she carried a bag full of canned cat food and waved 'hi' to me. It was as I was running the few blocks to the clinic that I finally realized, I had no idea what I was going to say to him. It was like going to school only to find out you had to perform a speech in front of the student body and not having any clue what you were going to say. That had happened to me once, and I had thrown up in a tuba. This was worse.

I didn't have time to compose a speech or run through the words I wanted to say to him so I decided to go with my gut and hope that my gut wouldn't betray me and decide to rid itself of the Thai food Garrett and Kate had made me eat last night. I reached the doors to the clinic and flung them open with all my might just as a big clap of lightening sounded and the sky let loose, the rain barely missing me by an inch. Maybe luck was on my side after all. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. So on that note, I opened my mouth and did what I had came here to do.

"I love you." I shouted and the buzz that had been filling the room died abruptly. I opened my eyes, noticing only a little too late that I had clenched them shut.

"Well... um... my wife is sitting right here, but thanks for the sentiment Rosalie." Jasper laughed as he stood in the middle of the room.

Alice was standing behind him and she reached up to smack the back of his head. Charlie and Renée were seated by the little aquarium, Elijah between them and Tatum on Renée's lap as they read a book. Emmett was no where to be found.

"You're back." Alice sighed as she ran across the room and wrapped her arms around my neck. "I knew you'd come back. I knew it and no one would believe me, but I tell them all the time that I can see the future, if they would just listen to me and... are you okay?"

Her tiny hand reached up to wipe the single tear that had been sliding down my face and I bit the inside of my cheek as I nodded my head a fraction of an inch. "I just...I thought he'd be here and..."

"Rose?" The voice came from behind me. From where I had left the door standing wide open. It was deep and smooth and the one I had been trying to commit to memory since I first heard it. "Rose, what are you doing here?"

I wanted to turn around. I wanted to see his face, I wanted to run to him and never let go. But my body wouldn't let me. I had hurt him, and I didn't want to see that hurt upon his face. I wanted to see his smile and his dimples and... I wanted him to still love me. But I didn't want to turn around if he didn't. So my feet stayed firmly planted and I stared down at them and the absurdly orange carpet that covered the clinic floor. Wondering why I had never noticed it before. I heard a groan and Alice's tiny, yet forceful, hands grabbed my upper arms and did for me what I had been avoiding. But just because she turned me, didn't mean I had to look up.

"Rosalie Lillian Hale." She growled in my ear. "look up and stop with all this idiocy."

I took a deep breath and nodded my head slightly before finally looking up. I hated to admit it, but little old kick boxing me was scared of the tiny elfin girl.

"What are you doing here?" Emmett asked again as he stood in the open doorway, the lightening flashing behind him, lighting up his face.

"Well... I..uh..." I was cut off as the sound of screaming pierced through my stuttering.

"That would be for me." Jasper said from somewhere behind him and I heard his footsteps leaving the room.

"Are you okay? Meredith Calms saw your car on the side of the road and..."

"I ran out of gas on the way back here. It was my fault, I forgot to stop and get more..."

"Do you need me to take you back with a gas can?"

"Would you two shut the hell up and make up already?" Renée's voice said from behind me and I turned my head to look at her as she winked at me, her hands covering Tatum's ears as Charlie's covered Elijah's.

"Mother." Emmett scolded but I shook my head and held up my hand.

"No, she's right." I said quietly. "Look, I came here to...to apologize. Emmett, I am a _horrible_ person. I lie, I use people, I have almost no compassion. I can be a bitch and...and I get scared easily. My parents died because they loved me Emmett. They died because they wanted me to give me exactly what I wanted for my birthday and if that meant driving from Rochester to the city, they would have done it. And they did. And that's why they died. The first and only real boyfriend I had, he couldn't stand that I blamed myself and I wanted him to blame me too. I didn't want you to love me because I didn't want you to get hurt. And when you said you did, I did the only thing that seemed right. And now, looking back, it was stupid. _I_ was stupid. Running doesn't solve anything. Especially when you run from someone you love, it only ends up hurting more in the end..."

"Stop." Emmett commanded and I closed my mouth instantly. "What did you say?"

"I don't have that memorized Emmett..."

"No." He said quietly. "You... you said someone you love."

"Oh, I was talking about Alice." I muttered and then felt something hard hit the back of my head. I looked down to see Tatum's doll laying at my feet and Alice looking around innocently. "Emmett... I love you."

I waited for some kind of reaction. For him to storm out like a huffy two year old, or better yet pull me into his arms and kiss the living daylights out of me. So when he just stared at me like I had just spouted off the phrase in Mandarin and he had no idea what I was saying, I was a little bit disappointed.

"I'm sorry. I just... I just wanted to say that."

He still didn't say anything and I felt the hot, angry tears fill my eyes. Here I was declaring my love for the oaf and he couldn't even utter so much as a 'go to hell and have a nice trip there' or something. So I did the only thing I knew how to do, I pushed past him and walked out into the rain.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" He asked as his arm reached out to stop me.

"I did what I came to do." I sulked.

"No you didn't." He laughed and I looked up, glaring at him. He was _not_ laughing at me.

"Yes I did. I apologized, I told you I loved you... What else do you want?" I roared as the rain pelted me.

"You." He said simply.

"What?"

"You heard me. I. Want. You."

"But I... but you.. You didn't say anything and..."

"I was waiting for you to jump into my arms or kiss me to death or something." He said as he stared deeply into my eyes. I tried to fight the blush that I was sure was rushing up my cheeks.

"Honestly Emmett, this isn't a romance novel." I said quickly. And I watched as his dimples cut into his cheeks and he laughed one of his deep booming laughs. One of the ones that sent shivers up and down my spine and made my lips twitch up into a smile involuntarily.

"Say it again?" He whispered when his laughter had quieted down. He ran his nose down the length of my collar bone, as we both ignored the rain that was pelting us from above.

"I love you." I matched his tone and he looked up to me, smiling his unbelievably sexy smirk and crashed his lips onto mine.

"I love you too." He smiled against my lips.

"Oi, love birds. Either get a room or come meet your new niece." We turned to see Edward and Alice standing in the doorway, both smiling widely at us as we pulled away from each other.

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"God Bells, she is gorgeous." Emmett cooed. He was holding his baby niece in his arms as he sat beside his sister.

"She is, isn't she?" Bella smiled as she ran her fingers through the baby's tufts of soft dark hair. "I hope she gets her dad's hair color."

"She will." Emmett smiled as he bent down to kiss his niece's nose. "You want to hold her Rosalie?"

"I..."

"Of course she does." Bella smiled as she patted the spot next to her.

I smiled tentatively as I sat down and Emmett passed the tiny little bundle into my arms. She truly was gorgeous. As gorgeous as a few minutes old baby could be.

"Emmykins, will you go find Edward and have him bring me a cheeseburger?"

"If you stop calling me that I will." Emmett laughed as he quietly left the room in search for his brother-in-law.

Bella and I laughed as we watched him leave and I gently ran a finger down the baby's cheek. It was so round and soft. And perfect.

"I knew you'd come back." Bella said softly and I looked up to see her studying me intently. "Sooner or later, I knew you'd be back. I just had to help speed it up a bit. Did you like your flowers?"

"You sent the flowers?"

"Edward and I did." Bella smiled slyly. "You need him...just like he needs you."

"Thank you..." I said as I fought the tears that were pooling in my eyes.

Bella and I sat talking, Alice joined us soon with Tatum in tow as she crawled onto the bed on the other side of Bella and we all cooed over the baby in her arms. Edward, Emmett, and Jasper returned not long after, Elijah carrying a white paper bag that contained almost every menu item from Charlie's.

"So have you guys thought of a name yet or are you going to call her baby for the rest of her life?" Emmett asked as he sat in the pink hospital chair and pulled me down onto his lap.

"Ha Ha." Bella muttered as Edward bounced the baby in his arms gently. "Why does it matter if we have a name or not, you guys will all come up with your own nicknames for her anyway."

"True." Alice and Emmett chimed at the same time before quickly yelling "Jinx."

"Well, we have to send out announcements to the rest of the family." Renée said as though her son and her niece hadn't been acting like children right in front of her.

"Fine. Her name is Odalys Liliana Masen." Bella said as she took the baby back from Edward. "And, if you don't mind, I think she's hungry."

"That's my cue to leave." Charlie said as he stood up and took Eli out the door with him, Jasper following close behind.

"I swear... he's a doctor..." Alice mumbled and rolled her eyes but followed her husband with her daughter asleep on her shoulder.

Renée kissed her daughter, son-in-law and her granddaughter one last time before leaving with everyone else. I waited as Emmett said goodbye and then I followed him to the door, saying a quick goodbye myself as we left.

He grabbed my hand as soon as we were in the hallway. "Four days without you was... hell." He mumbled as he pulled his keys from his pocket and brought our entwined hands up to kiss the back of mine.

"Tell me about it." I muttered as I pushed myself into his side. "I really am sorry I ran Em, you know that right?"

He stopped walking as he reached his truck and turned us so that I was pushed up against the door. "I do know that. I also know that you have a lot of making up to do for it."

"Oh really?" I raised one eyebrow and he laughed as he reached around me to unlock my door.

"I wouldn't lie to you." He assured me as he bent down and captured my lips with his own. And suddenly, we couldn't get back to his house fast enough.

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My hands were trailing up under his shirt as he pushed the gas pedal down to the floor as far as it would go. I was glad he had grown up in Independence and more than likely learned to drive on these roads because if not, there never would have been any way we would have made it back to his house alive. As it was, he had barely put the car into park and turned it off before he jumped out of the drivers seat and took me with him, not even bothering to pull me out of the passenger side door.

My legs wrapped around his waist and I sucked on the skin of his neck, feeling the white hot coil in my lower abdomen tighten and tingle with each of his moans. I could feel his hardness rubbing against my stomach as he worked hard to get in through the front door, and I had to work very hard to control myself so that he could open it and carry me in.

"Emmett." I moaned as he shut the door behind him. "Now."

I didn't have to say anything else as he quickly disengaged my arms to pull his shirt off over his head and toss it into the darkened living room. He didn't bother turning any thing on as he took us over to the couch and gently laid me down on top of it. His hands were smooth and gentle as he unbuttoned my jeans and slid them off, his lips kissing each inch of exposed skin as he deliberately tried to kill me.

When he had rid my body of my tennis shoes and my jeans he snaked his way back up me and I tried to glare at him as his face reached level with mine but couldn't even muster a frown when I saw the look of pure joy in his eyes. I trailed my hands down his chest, and took my time with the button on his pants. I could see that he was straining against the confines of his jeans but he wasn't complaining, so I finally unbuttoned them and used my feet to pull them down until they pooled around his ankles and he shook them off. His boxers soon joined them and as he lapped and sucked at the skin on my neck and the sensitive parts under my ears, I wormed my way out of my panties.

Emmett positioned himself at my entrance as he held himself above me and stared into my eyes. His eyes looked like melted pools of chocolate as they bore into me.

"I love you Rosalie." He whispered and he brought his face down to mine, touching the tips of our noses together.

"I love you too Emmett. More than you could know."

"But I do..." He said as he kissed my nose. "your smile, your look" He said as he kissed my cheeks.

"your laugh, your hair," He gently kissed each of my eyelids. "your scent, your clothes," He gently touched his lips to my forehead twice. "your bitchy sarcasm. I love it all Rose. Every part of you." He finally said as he kissed my lips and I had to work hard to keep the tears from falling down my face.

I reached down and grabbed him in my hand, he gasped deeply and I smiled as I pulled him closer to me. He pulled my hand into his and intertwined our fingers together, resting them above my head on the couch as he pushed into me. I closed my eyes as I enjoyed the warm sensations of feeling him inside me, filling me up. And it gave me comfort to feel that we fit together like two puzzle pieces. A perfect fit.

"Open your eyes Rosalie." Emmett commanded and I did to find him staring at me sweetly, the sexy smile I had come to love so much was wide on his face. His dimples prominent even in the dark of the room. I watched him as he pumped into me. The way his brow furrowed and the smile stayed on his face. The way the sweat beaded on his body and made it gleam in the soft moonlight that was shining through the window. I watched him as he made love to me. Until finally, we both reached our breaking points and he spilled into me at the same time I clamped down and spilled over him.

He rolled us so that we were on our sides, facing each other and he pulled the throw blanket off of the back of the couch, throwing it over us as I wrapped my arms tightly around him. There was no way I was going to let go. Ever. And when he pulled me into his arms as well, I knew he had the same thing in mind. And that was perfectly okay with me.

* * *

_**A/N: Bella's baby is named after one of my little nieces. She helped me write Faye, and is a lot like her, if you've read Pieces. I promised her she could have a character. Her name is pronounced "O-Dallas"  
I feel incredibly sad guys but this story is almost over. You can have a sneak peek of the next if you want, just send me a review. I know you guys are all anxiously waiting to find out what happens. right?**_  
_**Besos. **_


	20. A Part of Both of Us

_**A/N: This chapter has been written three times. I finally realized that it would never be good enough because I wasn't ready to let go. But all good things must come to an end right? So finally, I give to you, the last chapter of Southern Hospitality. Thank you all so much for the reviews and the laughs. And remember, if you don't like it...it's all WeasleyWeakness' fault. Beat her up.  
**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own anything**_.

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**_Chapter 20_**

**_Rosalie POV_**

"Ouch. Dammit Alice."

"Well, if you would hold still for like two milliseconds, I could get this done without making you a pin cushion..."

"I can't help it, I have to pee..."

"And whose fault would that be?" Bella smirked from where she sat on the floor playing with Daly.

"Emmett's." I whined as Alice stuck me with a pin, yet again.

Of course, I really had no one to blame for myself as we altered my wedding dress last minute. I had been so worried about the damn Vogue shoot that I hadn't even thought to look in my calendar that day to realize it had been five months since I had gotten my last birth control shot. And then it had been my fault that I had forgotten it again...and again..and...well you get the picture. And really, I only had myself to blame for this because Emmett didn't know. But really, it's easier to blame him than it is to blame me and he gets a kick out of it. I guess I really shouldn't complain too much... yet. I was only five months along. Alice on the other hand, well she'd blown up so much that she rarely left her maternity pajamas and Elijah had taken to calling her pumpkin, which Jasper thought was adorable. We all knew he was the one that taught him.

"Hey girls, how's it going in here?" Jasper knocked on the door as he brought Tatum in. Her hair was piled on top of her head in loose little curls and she smiled as she came over to hug my leg timidly.

"How is my little flower girl today?" I asked her as I played with the mess of ringlets on her head and she smiled up at me.

"Pretty." She chimed and Alice applauded.

A few days ago, when Alice had gone in for her eight month check up, her doctor had told Alice about her son, who suffered from Asperger's syndrome. Alice immediately looked it up and after a few doctors visits and tests, it was concluded that Tatum did indeed suffer from it. It was a relief to finally know why she was so introverted and also for Alice knowing that she could lead a normal life. It was said that people with Asperger's are not disabled, but different.

"You look gorgeous Rose." Jasper smiled as he walked over to kiss my cheek gently. "And so do you, little McCarty."

He rubbed my belly playfully and Alice glared at him as he bunched up the fabric of my dress.

"Mess it up and die, Whitlock." She scolded causing the rest of us to break into laughter. She joined in after securing the last of the fabric with a pin and then grimaced as she rested her hand on her belly. "This baby had better be a soccer player... that's all I have to say."

Jasper rolled his eyes as Bella handed her baby to him and he took Tatum with him out of the bridal room door. The girls helped me slip out of my dress and into one of Emmett's t-shirts and my favorite pair of maternity yoga pants as Alice went to finish the alterations. Bella slipped out of the room once she was sure I was seated comfortably on the couch watching "Take Home Chef" and went to go change herself, her own hair already done into intricate braids. Edward and her had moved into a new house a few days ago, finally leaving their tiny old one. We weren't sure if the move was because Bella was sick of tripping over baby stuff or because Edward had finally won his argument about having another baby so that Daly would have a playmate close in age to her. We'd find out sooner or later though. Alice and I were on the latter, while Emmett and Jasper were sure it was because Bella wanted more space. I had heard never to bet against Alice and I was sure the boys were going to lose this one.

A soft knock on the door tore me away from the bread pudding Curtis was making on the screen in front of me and the door opened slightly before I could even say a 'come in'.

"Hey sexy mama." Emmett laughed as he sidled into the room and held a finger up to his lips.

"Alice said it's bad luck..."

"Yeah and Alice and Jasper fucked in the back of the church three minutes before their wedding and they're still together."

"I'm not going to have sex with you." I said and laughed when he pouted jokingly.

"Fine then..."

"But you can give me a good luck kiss."

He smiled like a kid at Christmas as he bounded over and pulled me into his arms, caressing me gently as he kissed me so passionately, I thought I might need to change my panties.

"Emmett...down boy." I laughed as I pulled away from him and smoothed out the curls in his hair.

"We're getting married six months after we met, and we're going to have a baby...we need all the luck we can get." He chuckled as he slung his arm around my shoulders and kissed my temple softly.

"Are you trying to say something?" I asked as I narrowed my eyes and turned my head in his direction.

"Yes, actually, I am." He smiled and opened his mouth to say something else when a soft knock on the door interrupted him.

"Come in." I called, and Emmett grimaced as he waited for Alice to peek around the doorway and then screech at him for being with me.

Instead, what we saw waiting there made us both do double takes.

"Hi... um. I hope I'm not interrupting anything." Chloe said quietly as she bit down on her bottom lip.

"What are you doing here?" Emmett snapped as he sat up straighter and tightened his hold on my shoulder.

"Look...I didn't come to start trouble or... Or ruin your day..."

"Yes, because I'm not going to let you..." He snarled but I put my hand on his arm, holding him back.

"It's okay." I said softly and he turned to examine me with his eyes. "Trust me."

"I do." He smiled and I leaned forward to brush my lips against his. "It's her I don't trust."

"And I don't blame you." Chloe said quietly. "I deserve it."

Emmett narrowed his eyes, but his posture relaxed some as he watched his ex enter the bridal room and shut the door behind her.

"I hope you don't mind that I came. I just... I saw that you were getting married and... and apparently having a baby." She said as her eyes settled on to my belly. "Anyway. Look, Emmett, I know it's too late, and you're in love with Rosalie, but I need to apologize. Because what I did to you. It was wrong. I know it's hard to believe, but I did love you. But Rosalie was right, I loved myself more."

Emmett cast me a perplexed sidelong glance and I squeezed his knee. He had been the only one I hadn't really discussed what all happened in New York with. He knew the logistics, but I had never really gotten into detail.

"I'll explain later." I whispered and he nodded his head as he turned back to look at Chloe.

"If I hadn't been so selfish, it would be me in your shoes." She said to me and I nodded my head, though I couldn't help the small smile that tugged at my lips. "And it's not that I didn't want it, I just...I wasn't ready for it.

"And then I thought that what I had in New York was so great and I thought it was where I was supposed to be. And until I saw that picture of you two together, I didn't realize just what exactly I was missing. But I'm glad that I did...It showed me that there's so much more to life than beauty and...and money. And you were right, Rose. You were right."

I smiled at her warmly as my hand ran over the length of my belly. "I still owe you." I said and she laughed lightly as she pushed a stray hair out of her face.

"I know." She smiled. "He's a great one, and from what I've seen of you... you are too."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." I was glad that Emmett didn't know just what exactly had happened between Chloe and I on that rooftop half a year ago. Because as she said those words, I clearly heard the double meaning behind them.

The door opened behind Chloe and Alice's startled face peeked around the corner. "Emmett Christo... Chloe?"

"Hi Alice." She said shyly as she waved meekly at my future cousin-in-law and already my best friend.

She looked hastily back and forth between Chloe, Emmett and I. I laughed when I realized that Chloe looked guilty, Emmett looked bewildered and I was the only one that still had a smile on my face. Alice on the other hand looked like she might go all hormonal on everyone's asses if no one explained soon.

"Hey Al?"

"Yes?" She hissed and I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing.

"Emmett was trying to seduce me, you might want to escort him off the premises."

Realizing what I was trying to do her face softened a bit and she snapped her fingers commanding my fiancé to come to her. He rolled his eyes but did as he was told, kissing my cheek quickly before scurrying over to where he was booted from the room. Once he was gone Alice waddled into the room, Bella behind her, holding tightly onto the garment bag my dress was encased in. They both ignored the other girl in the room and I threw an apologetic glance in her direction as Bella helped lift me to my feet.

"Chloe, do you think you could hand me my soda?" I asked and she smiled as she went to retrieve it off of the vanity and bring it to me.

"So, what are you doing back in town?" Alice asked as she unzipped the bag and revealed my satin, flowing cream colored dress that she had designed specifically for me. Emmett and I fully intended on having another wedding once I wasn't a house anymore, but I knew that might be awhile and of course, he was adamant about getting married before the baby came.

"I just wanted to wish Emmett and Rosalie the best." She said quietly. "I'm going back to New York tonight."

We all fell into comfortable conversation then, with the exception of Bella, but I knew it would take her a lot longer to forgive Chloe for all that had happened and all she had done. Especially since the two had been best friends.

The dress was gorgeous, as I knew it would be, after Alice had spent months working on it. I remembered the day I found out I was pregnant and while I had cried about not being ready to be a parent, Alice had cried about having to redo the dress.

"You look breathtaking." Bella breathed.

"Stunning." Chloe added with a smile.

"You look like you're a bride-to-be in a shot gun wedding." Alice said as she collapsed on the couch behind me and grimaced as her hand rubbed her belly again.

"Are you okay?" I asked and she quickly shrugged off my question as she held her hands out for us to pull her up as was becoming typical Alice "I can't see my feet" Whitlock style.

"Let's go get married." She sang as she dragged Bella from the room with her and Chloe followed as I took deep breaths and tried to still the flutters in my stomach that I wasn't completely sure the baby was making.

I stood in front of the mirror as I calmed myself down. I knew the tears would spill over the moment the doors to the back of the church opened, and I knew that they would only partly be because of the level of my hormones. The other part, and the majority, of the reason would be because of who was waiting for me at the end of the aisle. The man I was totally, completely in love with and the man who was I was going to spend the rest of my life with. Another part of them, would be shed because the two people who would have wanted to see this most, couldn't be. Though I knew they were here in spirit, it still hurt to know my dad wouldn't be there to hold my arm and make sure I didn't trip. Nor would my mom be there bawling as her and my dad gave me away.

"knock, knock" I turned and smiled as Carlisle walked into the room. He looked dashing in his black tuxedo that contrasted with the pale of his skin. It meant a lot to him that I had asked him to walk me down the aisle. He was after all, never going to experience this with a daughter of his own. But more than that I had found parents in him and Esme and they had welcomed me with open arms like they had done to Garrett all those years ago.

"You look handsome." I said as he hugged me and I kissed his cheek.

"And you look simply radiant." He paused as though thinking of something and then nodded his head as though he had been having a silent conversation with himself. "I think Alice might kill me, but I really do think you'll like this."

He held up his finger and disappeared into the hall for all of ten seconds before he was back with a box in his hands. It was white and the purple bow on top was tied perfectly. Esme's doing.

"It was my idea and Esme carried it out, what with all her connections and all." I laughed as he referred to Esme's job at the local newspaper, making it sound like she was in a mob instead of the only person brave enough to tackle the Independence Harold, by herself. Though I had been tagging along lately, taking pictures for her. I held my hands out for the package and he placed it in them gently.

I tugged at the ribbon which fell off easily and then I set the box down on the top of the vanity before carefully pulling the lid off. The inside was covered in white tissue paper and I had to dig a little to get to the bottom, but when I did, my breath stopped.

"Carlisle." I choked and I felt his arm around my shoulder as he hugged me too him. The tears were falling down my face and my hands were pressed against my mouth as I tried to suppress the sobs that were sure to echo out into the rest of the church should I let them out.

"I'm hoping those are happy tears?" He asked and I nodded mutely as I picked up the gilded golden frame that lay inside the paper swaddling. "Esme called around until she found the newspapers and a copy of the paper. Of course, she didn't stop there..."

He didn't have to say anything else. I knew what she had done. Not only had she called to find the announcement of my parents marriage, she had also somehow found the picture that had gone along with it and my parents were now smiling up at me from the frame I held in my hands.

"Thank you...so much." I muttered as he ran my fingers over the glass and let my tears fall down onto it. "It means the world to me."

"I know. They can't be here, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't remember the people who gave us such a lovely gift."

He held his hand out and I handed the picture to him as he held it in his arms. As we walked down the aisle, my parents were there, and as I met Emmett at the front of the church, they had a place of honor beside us. It was the sweetest gesture and as I watched my new family and friends cry and smile as Emmett and I said our vows, I knew... that finally, I was home.

As reverend Weber introduced us and we turned to head out to our reception, Jasper met us in the aisle.

"Sorry to steal your glory, but we have a little bit of a problem."

"And that would be?" Emmett asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, let's just say I'm going to have to pay to have the pew re-upholstered." He pointed his thumb over his shoulder to where Alice sat. She had opted out of being a part of the wedding, knowing she would never be able to stand up long enough for the ceremony. As we looked at her she shrugged her shoulders sheepishly and then pointed down to where a puddle of water now soaked the floor.

Emmett laughed and then helped Jasper pull Alice up from the pew and into the aisle as they made their way out to their car. I followed close behind after making sure Tatum and Elijah were safely with Esme and Carlisle.

"Where do you think you're going?" Alice asked as I slid into the backseat beside her.

"Where do you think I'm going?"

"To your reception that I planned out meticulously even with swollen feet and two children under six running around."

"You're not making me feel guilty. And you aren't kicking me out." I stated as we made our way quickly towards the clinic.

"Good, because last time, Bella was with me and she faints at the sight of blood...or needles."

I laughed as she squeezed my hand, another contraction tearing into her. Yup, I was definitely home.

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"Tatum, Elijah, stop running in this hall." I rolled my eyes and glanced up at Emmett beside me as we both chuckled lightly. Only Alice would scream like a banshee in the middle of a hospital. Albeit a really small hospital.

"Rosalie!" I laughed as Elijah bounded into the room and Tatum ran right into him and feel backwards on her butt.

Alice came in shortly after, Jasper following behind her as he carried a sleeping baby Aaralynn against his chest.

"Awww...Rosalie." Alice squealed as she threw her purse onto the chair in the corner and danced over to the bed to take a closer look at the baby. "She looks just like Emmett."

"Prettier I hope." Jasper laughed and Emmett nodded his head enthusiastically.

"You just missed Bella and Edward." I said and watched as Alice's mouth dropped open. I had promised her she would be the first to hold the baby. It wasn't my fault someone from Vogue had come to her house to interview her while I was about to give birth. "If it makes you feel any better, we didn't tell them her name."

She smirked smugly and held her arms out for the baby. I saw Emmett open his mouth to protest but I shot him a glare and handed over the child. There was no way he was going to deny my best friend, especially since I only told her the half truth, Emmett and I hadn't really decided on a name yet. Jasper handed Aaralynn to me as he joined Alice on the other side of the room. I watched as Alice pulled the tiny little cap off of her head and ran her hands through the fair brown tufts of hair that sat upon her scalp. It made my heart smile to see that it was already curling into little kinks. Like her daddy's.

"So, name?" Alice asked , rocking the baby back and forth.

"Well, I kicked a few things around. Playing with a few names..."

"And?"

"Well, I don't know, but I like the name Emmalie Renée." I spelled it out for them quickly and waited with bated breath. It had been in my head since the moment I had found out I was pregnant. Well, after I stopped crying. When I finally realized that it was a part of both Emmett and I, and I always wanted to remember that. Of course, I wouldn't admit it to them, but I had been calling her that since we found out it was a girl. "Too weird?" I asked when they still hadn't said anything.

"No, I like it." Alice assured me. "It's an adorable take on a classic name."

I rolled my eyes, leave it to Alice to come up with something like that. I was glad Alice liked it, but the one person that really mattered, had yet to say anything. I looked up to him hesitantly and I saw him gnawing his lip thoughtfully.

"You don't like."

"No. No, it's not that." He said quickly, looking down to take my hand in his. "It's a part of both of us. I get that and it's gorgeous, just like the both of you. I just..."

"What?"

"Well, I thought you'd want your mom's name to be a part of hers. Why my mom and not..."

"Emmett, there will be plenty of time for that later. Unless of course, you don't want any more." I nodded to the baby and turned my eyes toward her as she started fussing in Jasper's arms. Alice smiled and took Aaralynn from me as Jasper brought my baby back to me and placed her gently in my arms as they said goodbye, leaving Emmet and I alone for the first time since our precious angel had gotten here.

"Of course I want more." Emmett sighed as he ran a finger down Emmalie's soft baby cheek and kissed my temple.

"Good, because I have a feeling we'll be having lots more." I laughed as I looked up and kissed his cheek.

"As long as they're with you, I'll have as many as you want. But for now let's just enjoy this."

"Of course." I smiled as he kissed my lips.

"I love you Emmalie." He said as he bent down to kiss the top of her head. "And I love you Mrs. McCarty."

"I love you too."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"Just hang on a second." I growled as I stood in front of the tree with the knife in my hand. Emmett thought I'd gone crazy, but he was here nonetheless, holding Emmalie tight against him as I worked maniacally to carve the words into the bark.

I didn't even know what time it was, just that I was freezing and my arms were shaking. I could see my own breath and I was sure that I could do this later, but something wanted me to do it now, and so now I did it. With my husband and my baby looking on. Of course, I'd never hear the end of this. Of that I was sure, but I still had some of my pregnancy hormones left over and I was sure the teasing wouldn't start until later...when I had milked it for all it was worth.

"Rosie."

"Stop whining and give me a mother lovin' minute."

My tongue was hanging out of my mouth by the time the last letter was firmly planted into the tree. I really hadn't thought about how long it would take. Or the fact that it was freezing outside and snowflakes were falling down sparsely. But finally, all my hard work was done and I stood back so that the light from the truck would shine onto the freshly chiseled words. I went to stand by his side as he read them slowly, his grin getting wider and his dimples getting deeper with every word until finally his booming laugh shattered the silence of the night.

"Like it?" I asked through a shiver and Emmett wrapped his arm around me and turned to walk me back to the truck.

"I love it. And despite the fact that it was the craziest thing you've ever done, I'm glad you did."

"Definitely not the craziest thing I've ever done." I said as I eyed him as he strapped the baby into her car seat.

"Touché." He chuckled and leaned over as he buckled his seat belt in to kiss me.

He was right though, it was crazy and somewhat stupid and we'd all probably end up getting massive head colds and be out for a week, but as we drove away and the lights threw the beams onto the tree trunk, right above the place where the bark had been scraped off by my car slamming into it. I was so glad I had.

_Emmalie's Tree:_

_Not Paper_

* * *

_**A/N: Anyone? Jandco used the name Emmalie in Cullen's Island, (If you haven't read it, do it...now) I however, didn't get it from there. Aaralynn and Emmalie are both characters in one of my original works. Though I do love me some Jandco. **_


	21. Important Authors Note

**_A/N: This is simply a note to let everyone know that as of July 12th 2009, My penname will be changed. I really hate having to do this, but because of certain circumstances beyond my control, I must. _**

**_I will still continue to write, read, and review fanfiction, It will just be under a different name. _**

**_My new penname will be "Sweet Little Bullet" and if you are a Tom Waits fan, you will probably recognize this from his song "A Sweet Little Bullet From a Pretty Blue Gun" and if you aren't a Tom Waits fan or have never listened to his music, I highly suggest it. _**

**_Thank you to everyone and keep an eye out for my new stories. _**

**_Best, _**

**_Staysa aka Sweet Little Bullet._**


	22. Another Important Authors Note

_**Another Important Author's Note.**_

_**I'm up for auction in the Support Stacie Fanfiction Auction. I'm offering a 5,000 word minimum story in the Twilight Fandom. Link is on my profile. If you aren't familiar with the Support Stacie Fanfiction Auction, There's also a link on my profile for that. It's a great cause and I'm ecstatic to be doing all that I can to help out. Come stop by my thread and/or some of the other amazing, brilliant writers who have dedicated themselves to this fandom and to this wonderful cause of helping a wonderful woman. Hope to see you there!**_

_**Best,**_

_**Sweet Little Bullet.**_


	23. Chapter 23

Looking for a Beta.

Hey all! I am finally starting to write again and I have a new Rose/Emmett story that I have written ahead on. I am looking for a beta for it seeing as most of my previous beta's are no long beta'ing (is that even a word?) or have completely left fanfiction altogether. I am terrible with grammar and would like to find someone who notices the little things. If you are interested please PM me asap!


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